Hesperantha coccinea
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| Hesperantha coccinea (Backh. & Harv.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning |
Hesperantha coccinea (River Lily; syn. Schizostylis coccinea Backh. & Harv.) is a flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 60 cm tall, with slender lanceolate leaves up to 40 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flowers are re, occasionally pink or white, 30-35 mm long, with six petals; they are produced four to ten alternately on a spike in late summer to autumn.
[edit] Cultivation and uses
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens for its flowers, used in floristry. It is only hardy to between −5 to −10 °C; in colder regions it is grown under glass (Huxley 1992). It is sometimes known in cultivation as "Kaffir Lily"; this name is best avoided as it is considered an offensive ethnic slur in Africa.
[edit] References and external links
- PlantZAfrica: Hesperantha coccinea
- UBC Botany Photo of the Day: Hesperantha coccinea
- St Andrews Botanic Garden: Schizostylis coccinea
- Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
