Brunsvigia striata umbel of fruit

An umbel of ripening Brunsvigia striata fruit is slightly larger than the flower umbel preceding it, the pedicels elongating when the fruits are formed.

These umbels are typical of Brunsvigia flowers (and later fruit capsules). They earned the genus the name of chandelier lilies. The name striped candelabra has been noted for B. striata.

The straight peduncle below the inflorescence that holds it all in position emerges from unpromising gravelly ground with no leaves in sight. When all the capsules are ripe and the peduncle is dry, the entire above-ground structure becomes loose from the bulb and travels tumbleweed style in the wind on an unpredictable seed dispersal jaunt.

Then, after flowering is finished, the bulb responds by growing three to six large, ovate to obovate leaves. Next years blooming depends on the replenishment of nutrient resources in the bulb from the photosynthesis in the leaves (Duncan, et al, 2016; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; iSpot).