Brunsvigia herrei flowers

A sturdy scape supporting a multitude of flower buds emerges in season from the top of the Brunsvigia herrei bulb. The flowers of this Brunsvigia, similar to most plants in the genus, are funnel-shaped, growing on long, sturdy pedicels.

There may be as many as 40 flowers in a B. herrei umbel. The tepals are elliptic to oblong, curving back a little to acute tips. Faint longitudinal lines occur along the upper surfaces of the pale pink or lilac tepals. The stamens curve upwards, presenting the oblong anthers that start off white and gradually become darker, exserted outside the corolla mouth. The pink style is slightly longer than the stamens.

The inflorescence resembles that of B. bosmaniae, but tends to be more lax and the flowers slightly darker. Flowering happens at the beginning of autumn. The fruit capsule that follows becomes 2,5 cm long, three-angled with a ribbed surface.

There are about 20 species of Brunsvigia in southern Africa, one in Tanzania. Only some of them, like B. herrei, B. pulchra, B. namaquana and B. bosmaniae are adapted for roughing it in the dry surroundings of Namaqualand and the Richtersveld. Brunsvigias are with crinums the largest Amaryllidaceae plants found in southern Africa (Williams, 2010; www.plantzafrica.com).