Clivia
Encyclopedia
Clivia is a genus
of monocot flowering plant
s native to southern Africa
. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae
, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Common names include Kaffir lily and bush lily.
They are herbaceous
evergreen
plants, with green, strap-like leaves
. Flowers are bell-shaped flower
s on a stalk above the foliage, and they are can be any color of orange, reddish orange, bronze orange, peach, greenish yellow and yellow. There are a number of variegated leaf patterns, including light of Buddha, and akebono. Leaves can be narrow or very broad.
is the most widely cultivated, and hybrid varieties with flowers ranging from deep red-orange to pale yellow have been bred by growers. Yellow plants can belong to one of two different groups which breed true for colour, producing seedlings with unpigmented stems and all yellow flowers when mature. When yellows from different groups are crossed, seedlings with pigmented stems occur and the resulting flowers are orange.
ref Marriot, Helen, Clivia News, Volume 19, Number 4, quarterly newsletter of the clivia society, page24
C. miniata, C. gardenii, C. robusta and C. caulescens seedlings flower after four to five years. C. nobilis will flower after seven or eight years. It is reported that C. mirabilis also takes about 6 years to flower.
Specimens were gathered by British explorers William Burchell and John Bowie in 1815 and 1820, respectively. Clivia nobilis became the first named species when in 1828 the Kew botanist John Lindley
named it in honor of Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive, Duchess of Northumberland (1787–1866) (wife of Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland
), who was for a time the governess of the future Queen Victoria
.
When new leaves grow and the flower shaft develops, mist. Wipe leaves occasionally with a damp cloth if dusty from indoor culture. Repot plants yearly or biyearly in all-purpose potting medium or coco husks,offsets may be removed when repotting, but allow offset to be sufficiently developed to successfully grow on independently.
Seeds need to be cleaned and germinate on top of moist material in high humidity container, furry root develops and one leaf emerges. Continue to grow on.
Pests and diseases include scale insects, mealy bug, and rot.
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 monocot flowering plant
Flowering plant
The flowering plants , also known as Angiospermae or Magnoliophyta, are the most diverse group of land plants. Angiosperms are seed-producing plants like the gymnosperms and can be distinguished from the gymnosperms by a series of synapomorphies...
s native to southern Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
. They are from the family Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidaceae
Amaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
, subfamily Amaryllidoideae. Common names include Kaffir lily and bush lily.
They are herbaceous
Herbaceous
A herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
evergreen
Evergreen
In botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
plants, with green, strap-like leaves
Leaf
A leaf is an organ of a vascular plant, as defined in botanical terms, and in particular in plant morphology. Foliage is a mass noun that refers to leaves as a feature of plants....
. Flowers are bell-shaped flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s on a stalk above the foliage, and they are can be any color of orange, reddish orange, bronze orange, peach, greenish yellow and yellow. There are a number of variegated leaf patterns, including light of Buddha, and akebono. Leaves can be narrow or very broad.
Species
Of the six known species, Clivia miniataClivia miniata
Clivia miniata is a species of clivia, from South Africa. It grows to a height of about 45cm in the shade of trees and shrubs, and flowers are red, orange or yellow, with a faint, but very sweet perfume...
is the most widely cultivated, and hybrid varieties with flowers ranging from deep red-orange to pale yellow have been bred by growers. Yellow plants can belong to one of two different groups which breed true for colour, producing seedlings with unpigmented stems and all yellow flowers when mature. When yellows from different groups are crossed, seedlings with pigmented stems occur and the resulting flowers are orange.
ref Marriot, Helen, Clivia News, Volume 19, Number 4, quarterly newsletter of the clivia society, page24
C. miniata, C. gardenii, C. robusta and C. caulescens seedlings flower after four to five years. C. nobilis will flower after seven or eight years. It is reported that C. mirabilis also takes about 6 years to flower.
Specimens were gathered by British explorers William Burchell and John Bowie in 1815 and 1820, respectively. Clivia nobilis became the first named species when in 1828 the Kew botanist John Lindley
John Lindley
John Lindley FRS was an English botanist, gardener and orchidologist.-Early years:Born in Catton, near Norwich, England, John Lindley was one of four children of George and Mary Lindley. George Lindley was a nurseryman and pomologist and ran a commercial nursery garden...
named it in honor of Lady Charlotte Florentia Clive, Duchess of Northumberland (1787–1866) (wife of Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland
Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland
Hugh Percy, 3rd Duke of Northumberland KG, PC , styled Earl Percy until 1817, was a British aristocrat and Tory politician who served as Lord Lieutenant of Ireland under the Duke of Wellington from 1829 to 1830....
), who was for a time the governess of the future Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
.
Blooming season
Typically C. miniata, C. noblis and C. caulescens flower in late winter and spring, with out of season flowers for C. miniata occurring almost anytime. C. gardenii and C. robusta flower in autumn. Interspecific hybrids can flower almost anytime of the year depending on climate and flowering pattern of hybrids' parentage.Culture
Water regularly in summer, but avoid overwatering. From autumn till late winter maintain a resting period, keep plants almost dry at 46-50 degrees F (8-10 degrees C). From spring fertilize every 14 days.When new leaves grow and the flower shaft develops, mist. Wipe leaves occasionally with a damp cloth if dusty from indoor culture. Repot plants yearly or biyearly in all-purpose potting medium or coco husks,offsets may be removed when repotting, but allow offset to be sufficiently developed to successfully grow on independently.
Seeds need to be cleaned and germinate on top of moist material in high humidity container, furry root develops and one leaf emerges. Continue to grow on.
Pests and diseases include scale insects, mealy bug, and rot.