Scadoxus multiflorus

Scadoxus multiflorus

Scadoxus multiflorus is a plant belonging to the family of the Amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae ). The approximately nine species of this genus were formerly placed in the genus blood flowers ( Haemanthus ). Scadoxus multiflorus also often appears under the name "Blood Flower", but sometimes as " Fireball Lily " in the trade.

Partly some subspecies are distinguished:

• Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus
• Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. katharinae (formerly Haemanthus katharinae )
• Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. longitubus (CH Wright) Friis & Nordal, oberguineische forests

Occurrence

Scadoxus multiflorus originally from Africa and settled there many habitats, although predominantly located in the tropics, however, from the Eastern Cape in South Africa KwaZulu -Natal, the draw 4 northern provinces of South Africa to Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana, and all include areas of tropical Africa, except for the driest areas. In the northeast, the area extends up to Kenya, to the west in the Sudan and Guinea zone to Senegal. The incidence ranges from lowlands to mountainous forests. Also, secondary forests, forest edges, forest savannas and open grasslands are populated. Typically, they are found in the shade of trees near river banks.

Description

These are perennial herbaceous plants, forming bulbs as outlasting. These geophytes have about 40 cm long, corrugated leaves that form a pseudostem with their leaf bases, which is often spotted purple. In the spring (with subsp. Katharinae in late summer ) appear about 60 to 90 cm (sometimes up to 110 cm ) high, umbel- shaped inflorescence. The hermaphrodite, threefold flowers with showy, long stamens are pink to scarlet.

Others

The onions are toxic by their content of lycorine and other alkaloids.