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Useful Tropical Plants

Cyrtanthus breviflorus

Harv.

Amaryllidaceae

+ Synonyms

Anoiganthus breviflorus (Harv.) Baker

Anoiganthus luteus (Baker) Baker

Cyrtanthus luteus Baker

Common Name: Fire Lily

Cyrtanthus breviflorus
Flowering plant in native habitat
Photograph by: Cameron McMaster; African plants - A Photo Guide
© Cameron McMaster
Cyrtanthus breviflorus Cyrtanthus breviflorus Cyrtanthus breviflorus

General Information

Fire lily is an evergreen plant about 30cm tall, growing from an underground bulb.
The plant is occasionally harvested from the wild for local use as a food.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

Range

Africa - Kenya to Tanzania and Angola, south to S. Africa..

Habitat

Small streams, wet grassland or marshy slopes, to 3,000 metres[
90
Title
Bulbs
Publication
 
Author
Phillips. R. and Rix. M.
Publisher
Pan Books
Year
1989
ISBN
0-330-30253-1
Description
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
].

Properties

Edibility Rating *
HabitEvergreen Bulb
Height0.30 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusWild

Cultivation Details


Easily grown in a moist soil[
90
Title
Bulbs
Publication
 
Author
Phillips. R. and Rix. M.
Publisher
Pan Books
Year
1989
ISBN
0-330-30253-1
Description
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
]. Requires a free-draining light soil in full sun[
188
Title
The RHS Gardener's Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers
Publication
 
Author
Brickell. C.
Publisher
Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd.
Year
1990
ISBN
0-86318-386-7
Description
Excellent range of photographs, some cultivation details but very little information on plant uses.
].
Plants are deciduous when grown in colder climates[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
It is best to keep the plants fairly dry when they are resting[
200
Title
The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Publication
 
Author
Huxley. A.
Publisher
MacMillan Press
Year
1992
ISBN
0-333-47494-5
Description
Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
].
A very variable plant[
90
Title
Bulbs
Publication
 
Author
Phillips. R. and Rix. M.
Publisher
Pan Books
Year
1989
ISBN
0-330-30253-1
Description
Superbly illustrated, it gives brief details on cultivation and native habitat.
].

Edible Uses

A food plant[
177
Title
Plants for Human Consumption.
Publication
 
Author
Kunkel. G.
Publisher
Koeltz Scientific Books
Year
1984
ISBN
3874292169
Description
An excellent book for the dedicated. A comprehensive listing of Latin names with a brief list of edible parts.
]. No more details are given.

Medicinal

None known

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe.
Division of offsets after flowering.
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-03-19. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cyrtanthus+breviflorus>

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