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Useful Tropical Plants

Cyrtanthus breviflorus

Harv.

Amaryllidaceae

+ Synonyms

Anoiganthus breviflorus (Harv.) Baker

Anoiganthus luteus (Baker) Baker

Cyrtanthus luteus Baker

Anoiganthus gracilis Harms

Common Name: Yellow 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

Cyrtanthus breviflorus is an evergreen plant growing around 7.5 - 30cm tall from an underground bulb[
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.
,
1928
Title
A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province Volume 1-3
Publication
Strelitzia 41
Author
Bredenkamp C.L.
Publisher
South African National Biodiversity Institute; Pretoria
Year
2019
ISBN
978-1-928224-28-0
Description
 
].
The plant is occasionally harvested from the wild for local use as a food. It is grown as an ornamental.

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.
,
1928
Title
A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province Volume 1-3
Publication
Strelitzia 41
Author
Bredenkamp C.L.
Publisher
South African National Biodiversity Institute; Pretoria
Year
2019
ISBN
978-1-928224-28-0
Description
 

Range

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

Habitat

Small streams, wet grassland or marshy slopes; at elevations up 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
Height0.20 m
PollinatorsInsects
Cultivation StatusOrnamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Cyrtanthus breviflorus is a plant mainly found in seasonally dry tropical and subtropical climates. It is somewhat cold tolerant, surviving short-lived periods when temperatures fal as low as -5°c. It becomes deciduous when grown in the cooler parts of its range[
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.
].
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 can flower all year round, though most commonly after spring fires[
1928
Title
A Flora of the Eastern Cape Province Volume 1-3
Publication
Strelitzia 41
Author
Bredenkamp C.L.
Publisher
South African National Biodiversity Institute; Pretoria
Year
2019
ISBN
978-1-928224-28-0
Description
 
].
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.

The flowers are edible[
1321
Title
Swaziland's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Chris Long
Website
http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/chrislong.asp
Publisher
 
Year
2005
ISBN
 
Description
A basic, but very long, list of names and uses.
].

The bulb is edible[
1321
Title
Swaziland's Flora - siSwati Names and Uses
Publication
 
Author
Chris Long
Website
http://www.sntc.org.sz/flora/chrislong.asp
Publisher
 
Year
2005
ISBN
 
Description
A basic, but very long, list of names and uses.
].

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. 2024-10-13. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Cyrtanthus%20breviflorus>

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