Haemanthus canaliculatus
Encyclopedia
Haemanthus canaliculatus ('canaliculatus': Latin 'with small channel or groove') is a South African bulbous geophyte in the genus Haemanthus
. It is found only over a small area in the Western Cape
between Betty's Bay
and Rooiels, growing at about 30m above sea level with an annual rainfall of 650mm. Its favoured habitat is under dense bush in seasonally inundated shallow depressions, where it usually occurs in clumps. The leaf-bases or tunics of the bulb are thick, fleshy, distichous and loosely separated as in the spread fingers on a hand cf.Haemanthus pubescens
. Leaves are from one to four, red-barred at the base, held in a sub-erect position and appear after the flowers. The peduncle is up to 200mm long with 5-7 spathe valves that are bright red to pink in colour. Fruits are about 20mm in diameter and reddish. Seeds are shiny and deep red.
H. canaliculatus was named for the distinctive groove on the upper surface of the narrow, succulent leaves formed by the arching over of the leaf edges. It was collected for the first time at Betty's Bay
in 1943 following a fire, but was only described after another fire by Margaret Levyns
in the Journal of South African Botany in 1966. The belief has arisen that fires are necessary to stimulate flowering, but since the same species flowers regularly under cultivation, it would seem as if clearing of the undergrowth is the important requirement.
Haemanthus
Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae, with some 22 known species, endemic to South Africa, Namibia and the kingdoms of Lesotho and Swaziland...
. It is found only over a small area in the Western Cape
Western Cape
The Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
between Betty's Bay
Betty's Bay
Betty's Bay is a small holiday town situated in the Overberg coast of South Africa's Western Cape province. It is located 96 km from Cape Town beneath the rugged Kogelberg Mountains and is on the scenic R44 ocean drive between Pringle Bay and Kleinmond...
and Rooiels, growing at about 30m above sea level with an annual rainfall of 650mm. Its favoured habitat is under dense bush in seasonally inundated shallow depressions, where it usually occurs in clumps. The leaf-bases or tunics of the bulb are thick, fleshy, distichous and loosely separated as in the spread fingers on a hand cf.Haemanthus pubescens
Haemanthus pubescens
Haemanthus pubescens is an endemic South African bulbous geophyte in the genus Haemanthus....
. Leaves are from one to four, red-barred at the base, held in a sub-erect position and appear after the flowers. The peduncle is up to 200mm long with 5-7 spathe valves that are bright red to pink in colour. Fruits are about 20mm in diameter and reddish. Seeds are shiny and deep red.
H. canaliculatus was named for the distinctive groove on the upper surface of the narrow, succulent leaves formed by the arching over of the leaf edges. It was collected for the first time at Betty's Bay
Betty's Bay
Betty's Bay is a small holiday town situated in the Overberg coast of South Africa's Western Cape province. It is located 96 km from Cape Town beneath the rugged Kogelberg Mountains and is on the scenic R44 ocean drive between Pringle Bay and Kleinmond...
in 1943 following a fire, but was only described after another fire by Margaret Levyns
Margaret Levyns
Margaret Rutherford Bryan Levyns was an eminent South African phytogeographer, botanist and taxonomist....
in the Journal of South African Botany in 1966. The belief has arisen that fires are necessary to stimulate flowering, but since the same species flowers regularly under cultivation, it would seem as if clearing of the undergrowth is the important requirement.