Cyrtanthus

Cyrtanthus is a genus of deciduous or evergreen, bulbous perennials in the Amaryllidaceae family.

The bulbs often split into clusters or produce bulbils around the mother bulbs that propagate the plants vegetatively. Bulbs may be partly or almost fully exposed above ground. Some species grow as epiphytes on other plants.

The leaves are few to several, erect or spreading and sometimes twisted or spiralled. The hairless leaves are strap-shaped, varying in width, sometimes with conspicuous midribs. The leaves may be present during or only after flowering.

The often-loose inflorescences are one to many-flowered on hairless and leafless scapes that are usually hollow. The two to four spathe valves covering the buds wither early. The pedicels are shorter than or equal to the perianths in length. 

The erect, spreading or pendulous flowers are from regular to slightly irregular in shape, the latter ones being two-lipped from unequal segments. Perianth colours vary from red or orange to yellow or white, some species flowering bicoloured. The six segments of each perianth are joined in a tube somewhat dilating from the base, variably curved and flaring at the tips, or the tips even recurving.

The six stamens have filaments that arise from two heights in the perianth tube, sometimes with the filament bases expanding into false coronas. More species have anthers included in the perianths than exserted.

The inferior, three-locular ovaries are nearly globose, containing many ovules per locule. The styles are as long as or longer than the filaments, the stigmas three-lobed.

Some species are fragrant.

Most species flower notably better in the first season after fire, some responding quickly after fire.

The ellipsoid, oblong or ovoid capsules split along three longitudinal seams when ripe. They release flattened, wrinkled, black and mostly somewhat winged seeds.

There are about fifty Cyrtanthus species, widespread in southern Africa, a few found on the continent more to the north. The habitats of the species range from streambanks to arid regions, the plants winter or summer growing, often secluded on fairly inaccessible terrain that renders many species of no concern in terms of population stability early in the twenty first century.

In spite of some spectacular flowers, only few species have been cultivated extensively.

The plant in picture is Cyrtanthus leucanthus (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; http://pza.sanbi.org; https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu).