Plate 32. 



HAEMANTHUS natalensis. 



Cape Province, Natal. 



Amaeyllidaceae. Tribe Amaeylleae. 

 Haemanthus, Linn. ; Benth. et Hoolc.f. Gen. Plant, vol. iii. p. 730. 



Haemanthus natalensis, Pappe ex EooJc. in Bot. Mag. fc. 5378 ; Fl. Cap. 



vol. vi. p. 232. 



The late Dr. Pappe first brought this species to the notice 

 of Kew as an undescribed South African plant, and not long 

 afterwards (1862), Dr. Sanderson sent bulbs from Natal to 

 the Eoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, which flowered the follow- 

 ing year. An excellent figure of the plant appeared in the 

 Botanical Magazine of the same year. The species appears to 

 be fairly common in Natal, but the only Cape Province 

 record we have is supplied by a specimen collected by Mr. 

 W. Tyson at Kokstad, East Griqualand, 1883. The present 

 illustration was made from specimens collected by Miss K. A. 

 Lansdell at " Stella Bush " near Durban. It is popularly 

 known as the " Blood Flower," " Snake Lily," and " April 

 Fool." It is reputed to be poisonous, but is used medicinally 

 by the natives of Natal who know it as " Indumbe-ka- 

 Hloile." 



Description : — An erect plant about 1 metre high. Bulb 

 2-7*5 cm. in diameter, usually globose. Stem about 1 metre 

 high, closely covered with leaves above and with a few scale- 

 leaves at the base. Leaves sub-erect, 32 cm. long, 8-9 cm. broad, 

 acute, narrowed at the base, glabrous, shining ; the sheathing 

 petiole of the lowermost leaves with reddish-brown spots, and 

 the margin round the apex coloured reddish-brown. Peduncle 

 lateral, from the base of the stem, generally shorter than the 

 stem, semi-terete, smooth and glabrous. Inflorescence a many- 

 flowered umbel. Involucral-bracts 7-8, Vandyke red to blackish 

 red-purple (E.O.S.), 6-5-7*5 cm. long, 2-5 cm. broad, oblong, 

 sub-acuminate, rounded or obtuse at the apex, glabrous. 

 Floral-bracts about 4 cm. long, 1-2 mm. broad, linear. Flowers 

 scarlet (E.C.S.). Pedicels 1*5-5 cm. long, terete, glabrous. 



