Family:
Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil.
Genus:
Cyrtanthus Aiton

Cyrtanthus breviflorus Harv.

This species is accepted, and its native range is Kenya to S. Africa.

[FTEA]

Amaryllidaceae, Inger Nordal (University of Oslo). Flora of Tropical East Africa. 1982

Morphology General Habit
Bulb 1–2.5 cm. in diameter, with a distinct neck.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves green or slightly glaucous, appearing with or after the flowers, linear, up to 38 cm. long, 3–9 mm. broad.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scape 2–36 cm. long, elongating in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescence 1–4(–6)-flowered.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 0.3–4 cm. long, markedly accrescent, especially in fruit.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla yellow, yellow-orange or golden yellow, consisting of a narrow infundibuliform tube and free segments, altogether 2.4 cm. long, tube normally shorter than or as long as the segments, the latter ascending, not recurved, 2–6 mm. broad, outer with glandular hairs at the apex.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Filaments 2–5 mm. long; anthers at two levels.
Habitat
Upland grassland and moor, in marshes, along rivers or in heath vegetation; 1650–3200 m.
Distribution
K3 K5 T2 T4 T7

[FZ]

Flora Zambesiaca Amaryllidaceae by C. Zimudzi, R.H. Archer, E.G. Kwembeya & I. Nordal

Morphology General Habit
Bulbous herb; bulb 1–3 cm in diameter, with a distinct neck.
Morphology Leaves
Leaves green or slightly glaucous, linear, up to 30 × 0.2–0.4 cm, appearing with or after the flowers.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Scape
Scapes 3–30 cm long, elongating during fruit development; spathe valves 3.7–6 cm long, erect, often clasping bases of pedicels.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Pedicels 0.3–4 cm long, of different lengths within an inflorescence.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers bright yellow, 1–4(6), 2–3 cm long, with a funnel-shaped tube and free ± erect segments, 0.2–0.5 cm broad, mostly longer than the tube, outer ones with apical glandular hairs.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Filaments
Filaments 2–5 mm long; anthers c.2 mm long.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruits crowned with remnants of perianth segments.
Distribution
Widespread from South Africa to Congo and Kenya.
Ecology
Along rivers and in marshes; 1000–1800 m.
Conservation
Conservation notes: Widespread species; not threatened.

Native to:

Angola, Cape Provinces, Free State, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Malawi, Northern Provinces, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe

Cyrtanthus breviflorus Harv. appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Jan 1, 1978 Buchanan, J. [s.n.], South Africa K000366182 Yes
Cooper, T. [255], South Africa K000366173 lectotype Yes
Hutton [s.n.], South Africa K000366174 Yes
Krauss [255], South Africa K000366176 Yes
Krauss [255], South Africa K000366175 Yes

First published in Thes. Cap. 2: 25 (1863)

Accepted by

  • Geerinck, D. (1973). Flore d'Afrique Centrale (Zaïre - Rwanda - Burundi) Amaryllidaceae: 1-23. Jardin Botanique National de Belgique, Meise.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa: an annotated checklist. Strelitzia 14.: i-vi, 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Govaerts, R. (1999). World Checklist of Seed Plants 3(1, 2a & 2b): 1-1532. MIM, Deurne.
  • Nordal, I. (1982). Amaryllidaceae. Flora of Tropical East Africa: 1-30.
  • Timberlake, J.R. & Martins, E.S. (eds.) (2008). Flora Zambesiaca 13(1): 1-140. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Zimudzi, C., Archer, R.H., Kwembeya, E.G. & Nordal, I. (2006). Synopsis of Amaryllidaceae from the Flora Zambesiaca area. Kirkia. The Zimbabwe Journal of Botany 18: 151-168.

Literature

Flora Zambesiaca

  • Thes. Cap. 2: 25, t.139 (1859).
  • ―Geerinck in F.A.C., Amaryllidaceae: 12, t.2 (1973).
  • ―Gordon-Gray & Wright in J.S. Afr. Bot. 35: 35 (1969).
  • ―Nordal in F.T.E.A., Amaryllidaceae: 26 (1982).
  • ―Nordal in Norw. J. Bot. 26: 183 (1979).
  • ―Reid & Dyer, Rev. Sthn. Afr. Cyrtanthus.: 14 (1984).
  • ―Ross, Fl. Natal: 131 (1973).

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Geerinck in Flore d'Afrique Centrale, Amaryll.: 12, t. 2 (1973).
  • Gordon-Gray & Wright in Journ. S. Afr. Bot. 35: 35 (1969).
  • Harv., Thes. Cap. 2: 25 (1863).
  • Ross, Fl. Natal: 131 (1973).

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