Biology:Cyrtanthus falcatus
| Cyrtanthus falcatus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Osaka Prefectural Flower Garden | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Amaryllidaceae |
| Subfamily: | Amaryllidoideae |
| Genus: | Cyrtanthus |
| Species: | C. falcatus
|
| Binomial name | |
| Cyrtanthus falcatus R.A.Dyer[1]
| |
Cyrtanthus falcatus, the falcate fire lily, is a species of flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae from the Natal region of South Africa. A bulbous perennial growing to 30 cm (12 in), it has glossy, strap-shaped leaves and erect burgundy-coloured stems. These bear umbels of 8-10 narrowly-flared, pendulous tubular flowers in shades of red, green and cream in spring and summer. The umbels are bent over in a curious crook or sickle shape (hence The Latin specific epithet falcatus, “shaped like a sickle”).[2] The plant goes dormant in winter. The bulb, shaped like a bowling pin, rests with its neck above the soil line.[3]
Habitat
The bulb is only known to grow at altitudes of up to 1,800 m (5,900 ft) on vertical cliffs, in the Drakensberg escarpment of the KwaZulu-Natal midlands, where the bulb is found between vertical or horizontal slabs of stone. It is probably pollinated by sunbirds.[4]
Cultivation
The plant is not frost-hardy, but may be grown outdoors in a warm, sheltered location in temperate regions. Alternatively it may be grown under glass, with bright filtered sunlight. In cultivation in the United Kingdom , C. falcatus has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit[5] (confirmed 2017)[6]
References
- ↑ "International Plant Names Index - Cyrtanthus falcatus". IPNI.org. http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=64213-1&back_page=%2Fipni%2FeditSimplePlantNameSearch.do%3Ffind_wholeName%3Dcyrtanthus%2Bfalcatus%26output_format%3Dnormal. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ↑ Harrison, Lorraine (2012). RHS Latin for Gardeners. United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. ISBN 978-1845337315.
- ↑ "Cyrtanthus falcatus". strangewonderfulthings.com. http://www.strangewonderfulthings.com/423.htm. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ↑ "Cyrtanthus falcatus". PlantZAfrica.com. http://pza.sanbi.org/cyrtanthus-falcatus. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
- ↑ "RHS Plantfinder - Cyrtanthus falcatus". https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/5230/i-Cyrtanthus-falcatus-i/Details. Retrieved 12 January 2018.
- ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental". Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 26. https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf. Retrieved 24 January 2018.
Wikidata ☰ Q5795574 entry
 |  |
