(Hidayat, 2017)
Regnum : Plantae
Divisio : Magnoliophyta
Classis : Liliopsida
Ordo : Liliales
Familia : Amaryllidaceae
Genus : Haemanthus
Spesies : Haemanthus multiflorus Martyn
Synonim :
Scadoxus multiflorus (Martyn) Raf,
Amaryllis multiflora (Martyn) Tratt
Nerissa multiflorus (Martyn) Salisb.
Description
Haemanthus multiflorus is a popular deciduous, geophyte, bulb variable in height (15 to 120 cm). The purple- spotted inflorescence stalk is up to 40 cm high and bears an Allium-like spherical head, up to 15 cm diameter with numeros starry red threadlike flowers. The flowers are frequented by a range of insects, particularly butterflies. The long, strap-shaped leaves up to 35 cm long appear with, or shortly after, the flowers. There are three recognized subspecies.
Bulb: Rhizomatous , i.e. a bulb which also produces rhizomes (thickened roots).
Leaves: Leaves developing after the inflorescence elliptic-lanceolate to 35 cm long with wavy margins and distinct midribs. The bases of the leaves, the stalks or petioles, are tightly wrapped together to form a pseudostem or false stem, 5–60 cm long.
Flowers: The flowers are borne on a fleshy, leafless, stem (scape) up to 12-75 cm tall, pale green often mottles with reddish-purple; in the form of a spherical dense umbel of 10 to 200 individual red starry flowers resembling powder puffs. Both the pseudostem and the scape are often covered with reddish brown to dark violet spots. The involucral bracts under the umbel soon withering, lanceolate to linear, up to 6 cm. long and less than 1.5 cm. broad, colourless or tinged with red. Each flower with 6 filamentous perianth segments (tepals) , scarlet with 6 pink stamens. Pedicel (flower stalk) 15–45 mm 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 long; the free ends of the tepals are long and narrow12–32 mm, 0.5–5 mm. broad, (1–)3(–5)-nerved and spreading. Filaments filiform, 1.5–4.2 cm long at anthesis. Anthers 1–3 mm, red or yellow.
Blooming season: Summer after the break of the first rains.
Fruit (berry): Bright orange 5-10 mm across.
***Chromosome number: 2n = 18 (llifle, 2019).
Bulb: Rhizomatous , i.e. a bulb which also produces rhizomes (thickened roots).
Leaves: Leaves developing after the inflorescence elliptic-lanceolate to 35 cm long with wavy margins and distinct midribs. The bases of the leaves, the stalks or petioles, are tightly wrapped together to form a pseudostem or false stem, 5–60 cm long.
Flowers: The flowers are borne on a fleshy, leafless, stem (scape) up to 12-75 cm tall, pale green often mottles with reddish-purple; in the form of a spherical dense umbel of 10 to 200 individual red starry flowers resembling powder puffs. Both the pseudostem and the scape are often covered with reddish brown to dark violet spots. The involucral bracts under the umbel soon withering, lanceolate to linear, up to 6 cm. long and less than 1.5 cm. broad, colourless or tinged with red. Each flower with 6 filamentous perianth segments (tepals) , scarlet with 6 pink stamens. Pedicel (flower stalk) 15–45 mm 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 long; the free ends of the tepals are long and narrow12–32 mm, 0.5–5 mm. broad, (1–)3(–5)-nerved and spreading. Filaments filiform, 1.5–4.2 cm long at anthesis. Anthers 1–3 mm, red or yellow.
Blooming season: Summer after the break of the first rains.
Fruit (berry): Bright orange 5-10 mm across.
***Chromosome number: 2n = 18 (llifle, 2019).
Spot Characters
Thick and lanceolate leaves
Benefit
Toxic but can be used as a traditional medicine
Distribution
Southern Africa, Bostwana, Namibia
Location
Zone 1 of UPI Botanic Garden
Local Name
Kembang Desember
