SCADOXUS

Scadoxus Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 19. 1838.

Perennial herbs, bulbiferous, bulbs tunicated. Leaves basal; petiolate, petioles overlap and wrapped together to form false stem or pseudostem. Pseudostem usually purple-spotted; leaf blades lanceolate to ovate with a thickened midrib. Scape solid, appears from among leaves or pushes through the side of pseudostem. Inflorescence a several- flowered +/- globose umbel at the top of scape; spathe of 4 or more bracts at the base of umbel, caducous or persistent. Flowers red or orange, pedicellate, bisexual, actinomorphic, epigynous, trimerous, more or less upright or drooping or occasionally top of scape bends over so as to face the flowers downwards. Tepals 6, connate at base, perianth tube small. Stamens 6, inserted at the base of tepals, exserted; filaments flattened. Ovary inferior. Fruit a globose berry, orange to red when ripe.

9 species

Scadoxus multiflorus

Scadoxus multiflorus (Martyn) Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 19. 1838; Amaryllis multiflora (Martyn) Tratt., Ausw. Markw. Gartenpfl. 37. 1821; Haemanthus multiflorus Martyn, Monogr.: [s. p.] t. 1795.

Perennial herb, rhizomatous bulbiferous, 30-60 cm long, bulbs globose, ca. 5 cm x 5 cm. Leaves and flowers may appear together or the leaves may be produced later. Leaves 6-7 per bulb, bright green; petioles tightly wrapped together to form sturdy and fleshy pseudostem with dark purple spots, 5-30 cm long and up to 20 mm in diameter; leaf blade up to 40 cm x 12.5 cm, oblanceolate, mucronate membranous with a single thick midrib and many parallel veins, margin entire or undulate, lowermost leaf reduced. Inflorescence a several-flowered (up to 75 in number) globose umbel at the top of scape, umbel 10-25 cm in diameter. Scape solid 30-50 cm long, appears earlier than leaves; spathe of 5-7 bracts at the base of umbel enclosing young umbel, membranous, persistent. Flowers bracteate, pedicellate, pedicel 15-45 mm long, red. Tepals 6, connate at the base; perianth tube ca. 6-7 mm long; perianth segments linear or linear-lanceolate, ca. 2 cm, scarlet red. Stamens 6, inserted in the perianth tube, exserted; filaments +/- 2.5 mm long scarlet red, flattened; anthers ca. 2.4 mm long, dorsifixed, yellow. Ovary inferior, ca. 3 mm long, 3-locular; style ca. 2.7 cm long, scarlet red; stigma simple. Fruit a berry, 5-10 mm across, +/- globose, orange or red.

Flowering and Fruiting: December to March; Fruiting: July to September
Common Names: Blood Lily, Fireball Lily, Blood Flower, Katherine- Wheel, Powderpuff Lily, Ox- tongue Lily, Poison Root, Pincushion Flower, Cape Tulip