Haemanthus

Haemanthus is a genus of evergreen and deciduous, bulbous perennials, some winter-growing, forming part of the Amaryllidaceae family.

The bulbs made up of fleshy scales may in some species form clumps. They have fleshy tunics and perennial, fleshy roots. Bulb diameter ranges from 1,5 cm to 15 cm, the plants from 5 cm to 35 cm tall in flower.

From one to six leaves are grown annually, usually two, present during or after flowering. The leaves are erect and distichous, or prostrate. Leaf-shape is almost circular, elliptic or oblong, sometimes resembling tongues. The thick, leathery blades may be hairy and usually rough-textured, some barred or spotted dark green, purple or red on their lower surfaces. The leaf margins are sometimes cartilaginous, sometimes red, fringed or smooth and sometimes wavy.

The inflorescence is a cup-shaped or spreading flowerhead, few-flowered or dense, on a fleshy, slender or stout scape. The scape is smooth or hairy, pink-brown, red, green or spotted and compressed sideways. It is up to 37 cm long, sometimes reclining when heavy with fruit. At the scape top four to thirteen spathe bracts surround the florets in the head. These spreading or erect bracts are membranous, fleshy and brightly coloured.

The funnel-shaped, radially symmetrical floret tubes on short pedicels are erect or spreading and variable in number. The red, pink or white tepals are joined low down, spreading at the top in some species. The corolla tubes are from 2 mm to 9 mm long.

The six stamens are erect or spreading, variable in length and often exserted, the filaments erect. The inferior ovary is three-locular and nearly globose, the ovules covered in two layers of cells, single or paired inside the locules. The style is erect and thread-like, exserted and as long as the stamens. The stigma has three tiny, pointed tips.

Pollination is done by butterflies, hoverflies, bees, sunbirds and more.

The fruits are globose, ovoid to ellipsoid berries, coloured white, pink or orange when ripe, often aromatic and translucent. The egg-shaped seeds are fleshy, white, red, green, brown or iridescent.

There are 22 Haemanthus species, all endemic to southern Africa, several in Namaqualand and in the fynbos.

The Haemanthus generic name is derived from the Greek words haemat meaning blood red and anthos meaning flower, referring to the red flowers of many of the species. The common name for these plants is paintbrush and in Afrikaans kwaslelie (brush lily).

Some of the species feature in traditional medicine.

The plant in picture is Haemanthus sanguineus (Duncan, et al, 2016; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Manning, 2007; Andrew, 2017).