Scadoxus multiflorus

Last updated

Blood lily
Scadoxus Multiforus 13062015.JPG
Inflorescence of a blood lily in India
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Scadoxus
Species:
S. multiflorus
Binomial name
Scadoxus multiflorus
Synonyms [2] [3]
List
    • Amaryllis multiflora(Martyn) Tratt.
    • Haemanthus abyssinicusHerb.
    • Haemanthus andreiDe Wild.
    • Haemanthus arabicusM.Roem.
    • Haemanthus arnoldianusDe Wild. & T.Durand
    • Haemanthus bequaertiiDe Wild.
    • Haemanthus bivalvisBeck
    • Haemanthus cecilaeBaker
    • Haemanthus colchicifoliusSalisb.
    • Haemanthus cruentatusSchumach. & Thonn.
    • Haemanthus delagoensisHerb.
    • Haemanthus eurysiphonHarms
    • Haemanthus filiflorusBaker ex Hiern
    • Haemanthus kalbreyeriBaker
    • Haemanthus katharinaeBaker
    • Haemanthus longitubusC.H.Wright
    • Haemanthus lynesiiStapf
    • Haemanthus manniiBaker
    • Haemanthus micrantherusPax
    • Haemanthus mildbraediiPerkins
    • Haemanthus multiflorusMartyn
    • Haemanthus nicholsoniiBaker
    • Haemanthus otaviensisDinter
    • Haemanthus rupestrisBaker
    • Haemanthus sacculusE.Phillips
    • Haemanthus sacculusPhillips
    • Haemanthus seretiiDe Wild.
    • Haemanthus somaliensisBaker
    • Haemanthus tenuiflorusHerb. nom. illeg.
    • Haemanthus zambesiacusBaker
    • Nerissa multiflorus(Martyn) Salisb. nom. inval.

Scadoxus multiflorus (formerly Haemanthus multiflorus) is a species of bulbous plant native to most of sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Somalia to South Africa. It is also native to Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman) and to the Seychelles. It is naturalized in Mexico and in the Chagos Archipelago. [1] It is also found in Indian peninsula. It is grown as an ornamental plant for its brilliantly coloured flowers, either in containers or in the ground in where the climate is suitable. There are three recognized subspecies. Strongly toxic like other Scadoxus species, it has been used as a component of arrow poisons and fishing poisons, as well as in traditional medicine. Common names, some of which are used for other species, include blood lily, ball lily, fireball lily, blood flower, Katherine-wheel, oxtongue lily, poison root and powderpuff lily. [4]

Contents

Description

Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus near Victoria Falls Vegetation around Victoria falls.jpg
Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus near Victoria Falls
Blood Lily -- Scadoxus multiflorus Blood Lily -- Scadoxus multiflorus.jpg
Blood Lily -- Scadoxus multiflorus

Scadoxus multiflorus grows from a "rhizomatous bulb", i.e. a bulb which also produces rhizomes (modified underground stems). The leaves and flower may appear together or the leaves may be produced later. The bases of the leaves, the stalks or petioles, are tightly wrapped together to form a pseudostem or false stem, 5–60 cm (2–24 in) long. The flowers are produced in an umbel at the top of a leafless stem (scape), 12–75 cm (5–30 in) long. Both the pseudostem and the scape are often covered with reddish brown to dark violet spots. The bracts under the umbel soon wither. [5]

The umbel of flowers is more-or-less globe shaped, with from 10 to 200 individual flowers. Each flower has a stalk (pedicel) typically 15–45 mm (0.6–1.8 in) long. The tepals, filaments of the stamens and the style are all scarlet, fading to pink. The bases of the tepals are fused to form a cylinder-shaped tube, 4–26 mm (0.2–1.0 in) long; the free ends of the tepals are 12–32 mm (0.5–1.3 in) long, narrow and spreading. The fruit is a berry, 5–10 mm (0.2–0.4 in) across. [5]

Differences between the three accepted subspecies have been summarized by Friis and Nordal, and are shown in the table below. [6]

Difference between subspecies
S. m. subsp. multiflorusS. m. subsp. katherinaeS. m. subsp. longitubus
Length of flower tube4–15 mm12–22 mm15–26 mm
Length of free segments of the flower12–32 mm18–30 mm15–28 mm
Width of free segments of the flower0.5–2.5 mm2.2–4 mm1.4–3.4 mm
HeightVariableUp to 120 cmUp to 65 cm
DistributionSouthern to tropical Africa; ArabiaSwaziland; eastern coastal South AfricaLowland forest in tropical west Africa

It can be seen that although the dimensions mostly overlap, the length of the flower tube relative to the free segments at the end of the flower distinguishes S. m. subsp. longitubus, in which they are more-or-less the same length, from S. m. subsp. multiflorus, in which the tube is generally shorter than the free segments. S. m. subsp. katherinae is intermediate. S. m. subsp. multiflorus tends to have narrower free segments than the other two subspecies. S. m. subsp. katherinae is tall, S. m. subsp. longitubus short, with S. m. subsp. multiflorus generally intermediate, although varying in height throughout its considerable range.

Taxonomy

Scadoxus multiflorus was originally described by English botanist Thomas Martyn in 1795 as Haemanthus multiflorus. Constantine Samuel Rafinesque moved Haemanthus multiflorus to his new genus Scadoxus in 1838, giving it its current binomial name Scadoxus multiflorus. [1] [7] The separation of Scadoxus from Haemanthus was ignored by most workers until 1976, when the two genera were again segregated by Ib Friis and Inger Nordal. Haemanthus species are southern in distribution, form true bulbs and have 2n = 16 chromosomes, whereas Scadoxus species, such as S. multiflorus, are found throughout tropical Africa, do not all form bulbs and have 2n = 18 chromosomes. [8] The leaves are a further distinguishing characteristic: those of Scadoxus are thinner and have a distinct stalk (petiole); those of Haemanthus are thicker and without a petiole. [8]

Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus in Arusha National Park, Tanzania Scadoxus multiflorus (1).JPG
Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus in Arusha National Park, Tanzania

Subspecies

Three subspecies are known: [2]

Synonyms: Haemanthus katharinaeBaker, Haemanthus multiflorus subsp. katharinae(Baker) I.Bjørnstad & Friis
Synonyms: Haemanthus longitubusC.H.Wright, Haemanthus multiflorus subsp. longitubus(C.H.Wright) I.Bjørnstad & Friis, Haemanthus manniiBaker

Distribution and habitat

The species is native to tropical and southern Africa and parts of the Arabian Peninsula. [9] The subspecies S. m. subsp. multiflorus is found throughout southern Africa. S. m. subsp. longitubus is found across tropical West and Central Africa, including in Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. S. m. subsp. katherinae is native to Mediterranean climate forest, scrub and woodland in eastern southern Africa – Cape Province and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa and Swaziland. It is primarily a plant of moist, shady habitats, including savannah woodlands and forests along rivers and mountains. [10]

Cultivation

Scadoxus multiflorus is chill-sensitive and must be kept at a minimum temperature of 5 °C (41 °F), for forms of southern African origin, up to 10 °C (50 °F) or more for those of tropical origin. An open, well-drained growing medium, largely organic in nature, is recommended. [11] Propagation is by seed. Pests are those of Scadoxus generally. [11] [12]

Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. longitubus is rarely if ever cultivated, [11] although (under the synonym Haemanthus mannii) it was described as having been "introduced" in 1877. [13] Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. multiflorus is produced for sale in large numbers by the Dutch horticultural industry. In cultivated forms, the flowers often appear before the leaves, sometimes not until late summer. [11]

Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. katherinae has been described as "imposing", [11] sometimes reaching a height of 120 cm (4 ft), with a strong purple-spotted pseudostem. Red berries may be produced, which can last through the winter. The UK National Plant Collection for Scadoxus has described it as "an excellent plant for a glasshouse or sunny windowsill." [11] In South Africa it can be grown in the open garden in the shade, in well-drained, light soil containing plenty of organic matter. It requires ample water when in growth but must have good drainage when dormant. It will grow under trees provided the soil is sufficiently fertile. [12]

Cultivars

Some artificial hybrids between S. multiflorus subsp. katherinae and S. puniceus are known. Johannes Nicolai raised S. 'König Albert' which flowered for the first time in 1899. Although rare in cultivation, it multiplies rapidly. Of the same parentage is S. 'Andromeda', raised by C. G. van Tubergen around 1904. [11]

Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. katherinae has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. [14]

Toxicity and uses

The genus Scadoxus has some strongly toxic species, containing poisonous alkaloids lethal to animals, such as sheep and goats, that graze on the leaves or bulbs. Scadoxus multiflorus is traditionally used in parts of tropical Africa as a component of arrow poisons and fishing poisons. It is also used in traditional medicine, although in South Africa less so than Scadoxus puniceus . [12]

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<i>Scadoxus puniceus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Scadoxus</i> Genus of flowering plants

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<i>Scadoxus cyrtanthiflorus</i> Species of flowering plant

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<i>Scadoxus cinnabarinus</i> Species of flowering plant

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Scadoxus longifolius is a herbaceous plant from Zaire. It is only known from a single collection, and little information is available about it. It appears to be closely related to Scadoxus cinnabarinus, and Inger Nordal and Thomas Duncan suggested in 1984 that it may not be a distinct species.

<i>Scadoxus membranaceus</i> Species of plant

Scadoxus membranaceus is a flowering plant in the Amaryllidaceae family. It is a bulbous plant from South Africa. The smallest of the species of Scadoxus, it is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant where a minimum temperature of 5 °C (41 °F) can be maintained.

Scadoxus nutans is a herbaceous plant endemic to southwest Ethiopia. Its red to pink flowers face downwards as the top of the flowering stem bends over, unlike any of the other species of Scadoxus. It grows mainly as an epiphyte in tropical mountain forests, which are disappearing, making the species vulnerable to extinction. It is sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant.

<i>Scadoxus pole-evansii</i> Species of flowering plant

Scadoxus pole-evansii, commonly known as the Inyanga fireball, is a herbaceous plant endemic to mountains in east Zimbabwe. It was only discovered for science in 1960. Similar in many respects to the more widely grown Scadoxus multiflorus, it is cultivated as an ornamental plant.

Scadoxus pseudocaulus is a herbaceous plant native to Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon and Gabon. Similar in many respects to Scadoxus cinnabarinus, it is cultivated as an ornamental plant but has proved reluctant to flower.

<i>Leucojum aestivum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae

Leucojum aestivum, commonly called the summer snowflake, giant snowflake, Loddon lily and rarely snowbell and dewdrop among others, is a plant species widely cultivated as an ornamental. It is native to most of Europe from Spain and Ireland to Ukraine, with the exception of Scandinavia, Russia, Belarus and the Baltic countries. It is also considered native to Turkey, Iran and the Caucasus. It is naturalized in Denmark, South Australia, New South Wales, Nova Scotia and much of the eastern United States.

Strumaria discifera is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to west and south-west Cape Provinces. It was first described in 1992.

References

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  2. 1 2 "Search for Scadoxus multiflorus", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families , Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew , retrieved 2014-03-26
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  4. "Scadoxus multiflorus". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 2014-04-23.
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  14. "Scadoxus multiflorus subsp. katherinae". RHS. Retrieved 5 March 2021.