Monocotyledonous geophytes: comparison of California with Victoria, Australia

Abstract

Data on monocotyledonous geophytes from a recent Victorian flora are compiled and compared with those from California and some other areas of mainly mediterranean climate. Victoria's monocot geophyte diversity of 9% places it with parts of South Africa and Western Australia in a group of much higher diversity than California and Chile. The Victorian list is dominated by orchids (all with tuberous roots) and that from California by Alliaceae, Calochortaceae and Liliaceae, with bulbs being the predominant storage organ. Only four families of the 17 involved have native species in both California and Victoria. Most taxa in both areas are dormant in summer and grow during the cool season. However, the Amaryllidaceae found in the Sonoran Desert and the driest parts of Victoria are able to grow in the warm season in response to summer rain.