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Haemanthus (From haima blood and anthos)

(from haima, blood, and anthos, a lower; referring to the colour of the spathe and filaments of some species). Blood Flower. ORD. Amaryllideae. A genus of about thirty species of fine stove or greenhouse bulbous plants, all--with the exception of about five species from tropical Africa--natives of South Africa. Scape, involucre, umbels, and stamens, all add their quota to the interest and beauty of these curious flowers, which, in some of the species, are gathered together into closely compact umbels, and present in the mass a sort of filamentous appearance, somewhat resembling that of the feathered Hyacinth. The culture of H. sanguineus, and its allies of similar habit, is of the simplest nature. The various species blossom at different seasons, and it is important that, after flowering, each should have a period of growth, to be followed by one of rest. A mixture of sandy loam and fibrous peat is most suitable, and the plants flower more freely when under-potted. For this reason, it is not necessary to shift them every year. As the bulbs grow, and the strong roots increase, both may be stimulated and supported with weak manure water. Although some of the species of Haemanthus are frequently described as cool greenhouse bulbs, and some even recommend cultivating them in warm borders in the open air, yet they succeed best in a temperature of from 50deg. to 60deg. during the growing season. The sorts with well-developed bulbs should have these quite buried in the soil. When in flower, the blossoms will last longer in cooler quarters. Propagation is effected by offsets, which are produced more or less profusely. They should be removed and potted when the plants are commencing new growth, and be kept in a close pit or house till established. The offsets will reach flowering size all the sooner if kept in a temperature as recommended above for the growing season. H. abyssinicus (Abyssinian).* fl. numerous, in a depressed spherical head, appearing before the leaves; peduncles 1in. to 1 1/2in. long, pale; perianth scarlet, tube 1/4in. long; lobes 2/3in. long, slender, with upturned hooded points; filaments scarlet; anthers small, yellow; scape erect, green, 4in. long; spathes 1in. to 1 1/2in. long, pale green and purplish. April. l. three to five, autumnal, 4in. to 5in. long, elliptic, green, with purple-spotted sheathing bases. Tropical Africa, 1868. SYN. H. tenuiflorus coccineus. (B. M. 5881.) H. albo-maculatus (white-spotted). fl. in a dense head, 2in. to 3in. in diameter; perianth pure white, 1in. to 1 1/4in. long; ascending linear segments twice as long as the tube; bracts six to seven, white, veined with green; scape 3in. to 4in. long; glabrous. December. l. two, contemporary with the flowers, ligulate, fleshy, above 1ft. long, 2 1/2in. to 3in. broad, deep green, copiously spotted white. Bulb compressed, 2in. in diameter. h. 6in. South Africa, 1878.

H. cinnabarinus (vermilion).* fl. red; umbel twenty to forty-flowered; scape slender, about 1ft. long. April. l. long, stalked, four in a radical rosette, oblong, 6in. to 8in. long. West Africa, 1855. (B. M. 5314.) H. deformis (deformed). fl. pure white, numerous, shorter than the involucre; head compressed, parallel to the bulb; involucral spathes about six, equal, erect, obovate-oblong, obtuse, ciliate, pure white; perianth tube shorter than the erect, linear, obtuse lobes; stamens exserted; anthers pale yellow; scape very short, sessile amongst the leaves. March. l. about two pairs, 3 1/2in. to 4in. long and broad, dark green, smooth, hairy above, pubescent beneath. Bulb 4in. to 5in. in diameter, slightly compressed. h. 3in. Natal, 1869. A singular and grotesque species. (B. M. 5903.) H. hirsutus (hairy). fl. pure white, in dense heads, 4in. in diameter; scape compressed, stout, densely hairy. l. twin, round-oblong. Transvaal Republic, 1878.

H. incarnatus (flesh-coloured). This species is closely allied to H. tigrinus, but is a more elegant plant, with broader leaves; the scape more slender; the divisions of the spathe smaller, narrower, and less coloured; the flowers smaller, and of a different colour. South Africa, 1865. (B. M. 5532.) H. insignis (remarkable). fl. bright orange-scarlet, in an umbel. July. l. large, oblong, wavy, and spotted with purple. Stems cylindrical, thickly spotted with purple. Natal. A handsome greenhouse species. (B. M. 4745.) H. Kalbreyeri (Kalbreyer's).* fl. bright crimson; umbel thirty to forty-flowered, 5in. to 6in. in diameter; scape lateral. l. oblong. h. 6in. Guinea, 1878. (I. H. 354.) H. Katherinae (Mrs. Katherine Saunderson's).* fl. deep red; umbels dense, 6in. to 7in. in diameter. l. oblong, with both veins and veinlets very much more distinct than in the closely allied species H. multiflorus. Natal. (B. M. 6778.) H. Mannii (Mann's). fl. crimson-scarlet. Spring. h. 1ft. Guinea, 1877. This species closely resembles H. cinnabarinus in the flowers, but the leaves are produced from a special stem formed after the scape. (B. M. 6364.) H. multiflorus (many-flowered). fl. deep red; umbels sometimes one-hundred-flowered, dense, globose, about 6in. in diameter. April. l. three to four, oblong, acute, nearly 1ft. long, on a short spotted stem. Sierra Leone, 1783. (B. M. 961 and 1995.) H. natalensis (Natal).* This species is closely allied to H. insignis, but may be distinguished from it by the large, beautifully coloured and dotted, sheathing scales at the base of the plant, by the much longer leaves, by the pale green flowers, the orange-coloured stamens and styles, and by the nearly uniform bracts of the involucre, of a rich ferruginous purple, shorter than the flowers. February. Natal, 1862. A handsome greenhouse plant. (B. M. 5378.) H. puniceus (scarlet).* fl. orange-scarlet, with yellow or orange stamens. June. l. oblong, elliptical, acute, retuse, wavy. h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1722. (B. M. 1315.) H. sanguineus (blood-flower). fl. scarlet, in dense heads. l. two, oblong-elliptic, leathery, glabrous, not spotted. South Africa. This species has decidedly ornamental foliage, and is the one most easily grown. It is a good cool-house plant.

H. tenuiflorus coccineus (scarlet slender-flowered). A synonym of H. abyssinicus.

H. tigrinus (tiger-spotted). fl. deep crimson, disposed in large heads. April. l. linguiform, flat, smooth, fringed at edge, depressed. h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1790. (B. M. 1705.) H. virescens (greenish). fl. whitish. July. l. curious, oblong-lanceolate, hairy all over. h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1774. (L. B. C. 702.) H. v. albiflos (white-flowered). fl. white. June. l. oblong, strap-shaped, with ciliated margins. h. 1ft. Cape of Good Hope, 1791. (B. M. 1239, under name of H. albiflos.)