Cyrtanthus
Encyclopedia
Cyrtanthus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous
and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae
, subfamily Amaryllidoideae). This highly ornamental genus encompasses about 60 species. It is endemic in the southern and eastern parts of Africa and is represented in all nine provinces of South Africa
, with the highest concentration of species occurring in the southern parts of Eastern Cape
. The name Cyrtanthus refers to the curved perianth tube of many of the species and is derived from the Greek kyrtos meaning curved and anthos meaning flower. This genus is highly valued horticulturally. Species differ greatly in the colour, size, shape and position of the flowers.
is hollow and the inflorescence
has 1-4 flowers, subtended by two free bract
s. The flowers vary from tubular and pendulous to widely bell-shaped, spreading or erect. The colours of the flowers range from white and cream to numerous shades of pink, red, orange and dark maroon. Androecium consists in 6 stamen
s that are inserted in the perianth tube. The fruit is a capsule which contains many black, flattened, and winged seeds.
and evergreen
species. The deciduous members may be further divided into either winter- or summer-growing species: the winter-growing species occur mainly in the southwestern and southern Cape; and the summer-growers are found in the southern, eastern and northern parts of South Africa. The evergreen species occur mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country, and include C. mackenii and C. brachyscyphus. A notable exception is C. herrei, an evergreen species that occurs in the arid Richtersveld
in the far northwestern corner of Northern Cape
.
The list of Cyrtanthus species, with their complete scientific name and authority, is given below.
.
in this genus.
of Cyrtanthus species by in vitro
culture using the so-called "twin-scaling" technique have been reported.
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
, subfamily Amaryllidoideae). This highly ornamental genus encompasses about 60 species. It is endemic in the southern and eastern parts of Africa and is represented in all nine provinces of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, with the highest concentration of species occurring in the southern parts of Eastern Cape
Eastern Cape
The Eastern Cape is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bhisho, but its two largest cities are Port Elizabeth and East London. It was formed in 1994 out of the "independent" Xhosa homelands of Transkei and Ciskei, together with the eastern portion of the Cape Province...
. The name Cyrtanthus refers to the curved perianth tube of many of the species and is derived from the Greek kyrtos meaning curved and anthos meaning flower. This genus is highly valued horticulturally. Species differ greatly in the colour, size, shape and position of the flowers.
Description
Species of Cyrtanthus are perennial bulbous herbs. The foliage varies among the species, from very narrow and spreading to strap-shaped and erect and it is produced with or after the flowers, depending on the species. The scapeScape
In biology, the term scape may refer to:* The first segment of an insect antenna* A finger-like appendage of the epigyne of a female spider* Scape , a flowering stemScape may also refer to:...
is hollow and the inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
has 1-4 flowers, subtended by two free bract
Bract
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s. The flowers vary from tubular and pendulous to widely bell-shaped, spreading or erect. The colours of the flowers range from white and cream to numerous shades of pink, red, orange and dark maroon. Androecium consists in 6 stamen
Stamen
The stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s that are inserted in the perianth tube. The fruit is a capsule which contains many black, flattened, and winged seeds.
Distribution and growth habit
Members of Cyrtanthus can be separated into two groups according to their growth habit, namely deciduousDeciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
and evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
species. The deciduous members may be further divided into either winter- or summer-growing species: the winter-growing species occur mainly in the southwestern and southern Cape; and the summer-growers are found in the southern, eastern and northern parts of South Africa. The evergreen species occur mainly in the southern and eastern parts of the country, and include C. mackenii and C. brachyscyphus. A notable exception is C. herrei, an evergreen species that occurs in the arid Richtersveld
Richtersveld
The Richtersveld is a mountainous desert landscape characterised by rugged kloofs and high mountains, situated in South Africa’s Northern Cape province. It is full of changing scenery from flat sandy plains, to craggy sharp mountains of volcanic rock and the lushness of the Orange River, which...
in the far northwestern corner of Northern Cape
Northern Cape
The Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
.
Taxonomy
Cyrtanthus is the single member of the tribe Cyrtantheae an African tribe which is separated from all other African tribes of the family due to the flat, winged phytomelanous seed characteristic of many American genera of Amaryllidaceae. Also, it is the most diverse in floral morphology of any genus in the family.Species
- Cyrtanthus angustifolius (L.f.Carolus Linnaeus the YoungerCarl Linnaeus the Younger, Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus the Younger was a Swedish naturalist...
) AitonWilliam AitonWilliam Aiton was a Scottish botanist.Aiton was born near Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Philip Miller, then superintendent of the Chelsea Physic Garden...
, Cape ProvinceCape ProvinceThe Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
. - Cyrtanthus attenuatus R.A.DyerRobert Allen DyerRobert Allen Dyer was a South African botanist and taxonomist, working particularly on Amaryllidaceae and succulent plants, contributing to and editing of Bothalia and Flowering Plants of Africa and holding the office of Director of the Botanical Research Institute in Pretoria from 1944 to...
, Free StateFree StateThe Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
to LesothoLesothoLesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
. - Cyrtanthus bicolor R.A.Dyer, MpumalangaMpumalangaMpumalanga , is a province of South Africa. The name means east or literally "the place where the sun rises" in Swazi, Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu. Mpumalanga lies in eastern South Africa, north of KwaZulu-Natal and bordering Swaziland and Mozambique. It constitutes 6.5% of South Africa's land area...
to SwazilandSwazilandSwaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
. - Cyrtanthus brachyscyphus BakerJohn Gilbert BakerJohn Gilbert Baker was an English botanist.Baker was born in Guisborough, the son of John and Mary Baker and educated at Quaker schools in Ackworth and York....
, Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-NatalKwaZulu-NatalKwaZulu-Natal is a province of South Africa. Prior to 1994, the territory now known as KwaZulu-Natal was made up of the province of Natal and the homeland of KwaZulu....
. - Cyrtanthus brachysiphon HilliardHilliard-People:* Asa Grant Hilliard III , African American professor of educational psychology* Benjamin C. Hilliard , U.S. Representative from Colorado* Bob Hilliard , American lyricist...
& B.L.Burtt, KwaZulu-Natal. - Cyrtanthus breviflorus Harv.William Henry HarveyWilliam Henry Harvey was an Irish botanist who specialised in algae.- Biography :William Henry Harvey was born at Summerville near Limerick, Ireland, in 1811, the youngest of 11 children. His father Joseph Massey Harvey, was a Quaker and prominent merchant...
, KenyaKenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
to Sudáfrica. - Cyrtanthus carneus Lindl.John LindleyJohn Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
, Southern Western Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus clavatus (L'Hér.Charles Louis L'Héritier de BrutelleCharles Louis L'Héritier de Brutelle was an 18th century French botanist and magistrate. Born into an affluent upper-class Parisian family, connections with the French Royal Court secured him the position of Superindent of Parisian Waters and Forests at the age of twenty-six...
) R.A.Dyer, Southern Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus collinus Ker Gawl.John Bellenden Ker GawlerJohn Bellenden Ker, originally John Gawler was an English botanist born about 1764 in Ramridge, Andover, Hampshire and died in June 1842 in the same town. On 5 November 1804 he changed his name to Ker Bellenden, but continued to sign his name as Bellenden Ker until his death...
, Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus contractus N.E.Br., South Africa.
- Cyrtanthus debilis Snijman, Southern Western Cape Province (Outeniqua MountainsOuteniqua MountainsThe Outeniqua Mountains are a mountain range located in the Western Cape of South Africa. They run in a north-easterly direction from the George area.-Nomenclature:...
). - Cyrtanthus elatus (Jacq.Nikolaus Joseph von JacquinNikolaus Joseph Freiherr von Jacquin or Baron Nikolaus von Jacquin. was a scientist who studied medicine, chemistry and botany....
) Traub, Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus epiphyticus J.M.Wood, Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal.
- Cyrtanthus erubescens KillickKillickKillick is the Haitian Coast Guard base in Port-au-Prince. It is the main base for the Coast Guard. It is the other port for the city, aside from the main Port international de Port-au-Prince. It is located about 10 miles outside of downtown Port-au-Prince, and is about a century old...
, KwaZulu-Natal. - Cyrtanthus eucallus R.A.Dyer, Mpumalanga.
- Cyrtanthus falcatus R.A.Dyer, KwaZulu-Natal.
- Cyrtanthus fergusoniae L.Bolus, Southern Western Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus flammosus Snijman & Van Jaarsv., Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus flanaganii Baker South Africa.
- Cyrtanthus flavus BarnesBarnesBarnes is a riverside London suburb in southwest London and in terms of local governance falls under the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is located around west south-west of Charing Cross in a loop of the River Thames, with Hammersmith Bridge at the north end...
, Eastern Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus galpinii Baker, Western MozambiqueMozambiqueMozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
to South Africa. - Cyrtanthus guthrieae L.Bolus, Southern Western Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus helictus Lehm.Johann Georg Christian LehmannJohann Georg Christian Lehmann was a German botanist.Born at Haselau, near Uetersen, Holstein, Lehmann studied medicine in Copenhagen and Göttingen, obtained a doctorate in medicine in 1813 and a doctorate in philosophy from he University of Jena in 1814...
, Eastern Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus herrei (F.M.Leight.) R.A.Dyer, NamibiaNamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
to Western Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus huttonii Baker, Mpumalanga to Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus inaequalis O'BrienO'BrienThe O'Brien dynasty are a royal and noble house founded in the 10th century by Brian Boru of the Dál gCais or Dalcassians. After becoming King of Munster, through conquest he established himself as High King of Ireland...
, Southern Western Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus junodii Beauverd, Northern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus labiatus R.A.Dyer, Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus leptosiphon Snijman, Southern Western Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus leucanthus Schltr., Southern Western Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus loddigesianus (Herb.) R.A.Dyer, Eastern Cape Province
- Cyrtanthus mackenii Hook.f.Joseph Dalton HookerSir Joseph Dalton Hooker OM, GCSI, CB, MD, FRS was one of the greatest British botanists and explorers of the 19th century. Hooker was a founder of geographical botany, and Charles Darwin's closest friend...
, Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal. - Cyrtanthus macmasteri Snijman, Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus macowanii Baker, Mpumalanga to Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus montanus R.A.Dyer, Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus nutans R.A.Dyer, KwaZulu-Natal to Suazilandia.
- Cyrtanthus obliquus (L.f.) Aiton, Western Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal.
- Cyrtanthus obrienii Baker, Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal.
- Cyrtanthus ochroleucus (Herb.) Burch.William John BurchellWilliam John Burchell was an English explorer, naturalist, traveller, artist and author. He was the son of Matthew Burchell, botanist and owner of Fulham Nursery, nine and a half acres of land adjacent to the gardens of Fulham Palace. Burchell served a botanical apprenticeship at Kew and was...
ex Steud.Ernst Gottlieb von SteudelErnst Gottlieb von Steudel was a German physician and an authority on grasses.Steudel lived in Esslingen where with Christian Ferdinand Friedrich Hochstetter he organized Unio Itineraria.- References :...
, Southern Western Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus odorus Ker Gawl., Southern Western Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus rhodesianus RendleAlfred Barton RendleAlfred Barton Rendle FRS was an English botanist.Rendle was born in Lewisham and studied at St John's College, Cambridge...
, Southern tropical Africa (Chimanimani Mountains). - Cyrtanthus rhododactylus StapfOtto StapfOtto Stapf FRS was an Austrian born botanist and taxonomist.Stapf trained in Vienna, moving to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in 1890. He was keeper of the Herbarium from 1909 to 1920...
, Cape Province. - Cyrtanthus rotundilobus N.E.Br., Eastern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus sanguineus (Lindl.) Walp., SudanSudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
to TanzaniaTanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, Eastern Cape Province to KwaZulu-Natal. - Cyrtanthus smithiae Watt ex Harv.William Henry HarveyWilliam Henry Harvey was an Irish botanist who specialised in algae.- Biography :William Henry Harvey was born at Summerville near Limerick, Ireland, in 1811, the youngest of 11 children. His father Joseph Massey Harvey, was a Quaker and prominent merchant...
, Eastern Cape Province - Cyrtanthus spiralis Burch. ex Ker Gawl., Eastern Cape Province
- Cyrtanthus staadensis SchönlandSchonlandSchonland is a surname and can refer to;*Basil Schonland*Herbert Emery Schonland*Selmar Schonland...
, Eastern Cape Province - Cyrtanthus stenanthus Baker in W.H.Harvey & auct. suc. (eds.), South Africa.
- Cyrtanthus striatus Herb., Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus suaveolens Schönland, Eastern Cape Province
- Cyrtanthus thorncroftii C.H.Wright, Northern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus tuckii Baker, South Africa.
- Cyrtanthus ventricosus Willd., Southern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus wellandii Snijman, Southern Cape Province.
- Cyrtanthus welwitschii Hiern ex Baker, Southern Tropical Africa.
Ecology
Many members of the genus are known for their extremely rapid flowering response to natural bush fires, hence the common name, "Fire Lily" for several species. Indeed, species like Cyrtanthus contractus, widespread in the eastern half of South Africa, as well as C. ventricosus from the south western Cape, and C. odorus from the southern Cape, only flower after fires.Conservation
Several Cyrtanthus species are widely distributed in nature, like C. contractus and C. sanguineus. However, there are a large number of extremely rare species, restricted to very narrow distribution ranges, such as C. guthrieae which is only known to occur in a limited area of the southern Cape, and C. erubescens, confined to just a few localities in the KwaZulu-Natal DrakensbergDrakensberg
The Drakensberg is the highest mountain range in Southern Africa, rising to in height. In Zulu, it is referred to as uKhahlamba , and in Sesotho as Maluti...
.
Uses
The best known among all Cyrtanthus species is the scarlet form of Cyrtanthus elatus, commonly known as the "Scarborough Lily" or "George lily" and also very well known by its old scientific name Vallota speciosa, originally from the southern Cape and now grown worldwide for its cut flowers. Cyrtanthus mackenii ("Ifafa Lily") is another well known ornamental plantOrnamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
in this genus.
Cultivation
Cyrtanthus species are best planted in a growing medium that contains plenty of well-rotted organic matter. A suggested medium is equal parts of finely sifted compost, and coarse river sand or silica sand. They prefer a lightly shaded position, ideally receiving morning sun and afternoon shade, and like to be planted with the necks of their bulbs slightly exposed above soil level. The bulbs should be allowed to form large clumps and like to be left undisturbed for at least five years, until clumps become too thick and flowering performance diminishes. The bulbs require regular heavy watering about once every ten days throughout the year. Pots can be placed on semi-shaded balconies or verandahs, and when in flower can be brought indoors where the sweetly-scented blooms can be fully appreciated.Propagation
Offsets (daughter bulbs) form rapidly and can be separated from the mother bulbs when large enough, in early spring. The perennial fleshy roots should not be allowed to dry out and the bulbs should be replanted immediately and watered well. Seeds can be sown in early spring in deep seed trays, in the same mixture recommended for adult bulbs. The thin, black, papery seeds should be covered with about 3–4 mm of sowing medium. Germination of fresh seeds takes place within four weeks, and under ideal conditions, seedlings will often flower for the first time during their third season of growth. Several methods of micropropagationMicropropagation
Micropropagation is the practice of rapidly multiplying stock plant material to produce a large number of progeny plants, using modern plant tissue culture methods....
of Cyrtanthus species by in vitro
In vitro
In vitro refers to studies in experimental biology that are conducted using components of an organism that have been isolated from their usual biological context in order to permit a more detailed or more convenient analysis than can be done with whole organisms. Colloquially, these experiments...
culture using the so-called "twin-scaling" technique have been reported.