Chasmanthe
Encyclopedia
Chasmanthe is a genus
of flowering plants in the iris
family
which originate from South Africa
. In their native habitat the flowers are pollinated by sunbird
s. The genus name is derived from the Greek
words chasme, meaning "gaping", and anthos, meaning "flower".
Species include:
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of flowering plants in the iris
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...
family
which originate from South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
. In their native habitat the flowers are pollinated by sunbird
Sunbird
The sunbirds and spiderhunters are a family, Nectariniidae, of very small passerine birds. There are 132 species in 15 genera. The family is distributed throughout Africa, southern Asia and just reaches northern Australia. Most sunbirds feed largely on nectar, but also take insects and spiders,...
s. The genus name is derived from the Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
words chasme, meaning "gaping", and anthos, meaning "flower".
Species include:
- Chasmanthe aethiopica (Chasmanthe, Cobra Lily)
- Chasmanthe bicolor
- Chasmanthe floribundaChasmanthe floribundaChasmanthe floribunda is a species of flowering plant in the crocus family which is known by the common name African flag. This plant is native to southern Africa, particularly South Africa, but it has been introduced to other areas of similar climate, such as California, where it is naturalized...
(South African Cornflag, Pennants)