264 Plants and tJicir Ways in South Africa 



Flowering in December. Fruit ripening about May. Coast, Central, 

 and Western regions. 



FIG. 239. Hypoxis stellafa, Linn., var. elegans, Pers. 



Amaryllis. This plant gave the name to the whole order, 

 and its flowers are certainly beautiful enough to deserve the 

 honour. Flowers 6-12 in an umbel. Pedicels i-i^inch long. 

 Ovules many ; capsule large, round ; seeds few. Leaves 7-9, 

 growing after the flower, i foot long and to f inch broad. 

 The flowers are nearly regular, but the stamens curve upward. 

 Coast region, flowering in March. A. belladonna, L., the only 

 South African species, has a rose or whitish perianth 3-3-^ 

 inches long. 



Nerine. Tube cut down nearly to the ovary ; lobes 

 curved and frequently waved along the edges, bright red or 

 pink, sometimes flecked with gold. Stamens of two lengths, 

 slightly declinate. Bulbs near the surface ; leaves produced 

 with or after the flowers. Umbels 10-40 flowers. 



