Blood flowers

Blood flowers
	The evergreen Haemanthus albiflos with broad leaves and inflorescence .
Systematics
	Monocots
Order :	Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family :	Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae)
Subfamily :	Amaryllidoideae
Tribe :	Haemantheae
Genre :	Blood flowers
Scientific name
	Haemanthus
	L.

Blood flowers ( Haemanthus ) are a genus of plants from the Amaryllis family (Amaryllidaceae). The common name blood flowers is the direct translation of the botanical genus name Haemanthus . The 22 or so species are mainly found in South Africa and many of them are floral elements of the Capensis .

Description and ecology

Habit with two leaves during the growing season in June of Haemanthus pubescens in the habitat

Inflorescences of Haemanthus pubescens in the habitat during the dry season in March

Illustration of Haemanthus amarylloides : Left: In winter with two leaves. Right: Leafless with inflorescence

Illustration by Haemanthus carneus : In the growing season with two leaves and in the leafless state with an inflorescence

Illustration of Haemanthus humilis : Left: In summer with two leaves. Right: Leafless with inflorescence

Illustration by Haemanthus lanceifolius : In the growing season with two leaves and in the leafless state with inflorescence

Illustration of Haemanthus pubescens

Illustration by Haemanthus pumilio : In the growing season with two leaves and in the leafless state with inflorescence

Illustration by Haemanthus sanguineus : In the growing season with two leaves and in the leafless state with inflorescence

Blood flower species are mostly deciduous or, more rarely, evergreen, perennial herbaceous plants . As survival organs, they form onions . They form noticeably thick, long, sprout roots . The following are green in winter: H. amarylloides , H. barkerae , H. canaliculatus , H. coccineus , H. crispus , H. dasyphyllus , H. pubescens , H. sanguineus and H. unifoliatus . The following are green in summer: H. humilis , H. montanus . H. albiflos , H. deformis , H. pauculifolius are evergreens . Depending on the species, fully grown plants form one, two, four or rarely six basal, upright or flatly spreading leaves that are leathery or somewhat fleshy. In some species, the leaves are hairy.

Thick, fleshy inflorescence stems are formed. The golden inflorescence is striking because of the at least four cup-shaped, often intensely colored bracts , which are very important for attracting pollinators. In contrast, the six bracts are somewhat reduced and relatively inconspicuous; they are narrow and red to pink, rarely white. The hermaphrodite flowers are threefold. Except for H. carneus , the stamens are long. Three carpels have become an under constant ovary grown, with only one or two ovules per ovary chamber. The straight stylus ends in a tiny scar. The whole inflorescence acts as a flower , a biological unit, to attract the pollinators . The flowers produce a lot of nectar and pollen.

There are berries formed containing many seeds; they have this in common with the Scadoxus and distinguish them from the other genera of the tribe. The egg-shaped to spherical berries turn white, orange, pink to red when ripe and they are mostly aromatic. The egg-shaped, fleshy seeds are red, green or shimmering like opals.

Systematics and risk

The genus Haemanthus was established by Carl von Linné . The genus name Haemanthus is derived from the ancient Greek words: αἷμα haima for "blood" and ἄνθος ánthos for "blossom" or "flower" and refers to the blood-red inflorescences (see pictures in the gallery below) that first appeared in the early 17th century. Century described species Haemanthus coccineus .

The two closely related genera Scadoxus and Haemanthus belong to the tribe Haemantheae in the subfamily Amaryllidoideae within the family of Amaryllidaceae . Many of the species that used to belong to this genus are now included in the Scadoxus genus .

The approximately (11 to) 22 species are mainly found in South Africa and many of them are floral elements of the Capensis .

There are about (11 to) 22 species in the genus:

Haemanthus albiflos Jacq. : It occurs in the South African provinces of Eastern Cape , Western Cape and KwaZulu-Natal . Your stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus amarylloides Jacq. : There are three subspecies:
- Haemanthus amarylloides Jacq. subsp. amarylloides : It occurs from Garies to Clanwilliam in the Western and Northern Cape . It thrives in the fynbos and in the succulent karoo on soils above granite or table mountain sandstone , mostly in seasonally moist depressions or along watercourses. The populations of the 15 or so localities are continuously decreasing due to agriculture and urbanization. In 2007 it was rated “Near Threatened” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
- Haemanthus amarylloides subsp. polyanthus Snijman : It occurs in the North Cape. Your stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
- Haemanthus amarylloides subsp. toximontanus Snijman : This endemic occurs only in Gifberg in the Western Cape. In the dry mountain fynbos of the Table Mountain sandstone group, it only thrives on seasonally moist "rock ledges". There are only five locations. One of them was affected by road construction. The stocks are continually being decimated by harvesting for horticulture and by removing groundwater from neighboring agricultural areas. It was rated “endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus avasmontanus Dinter : It occurs in Namibia .
Haemanthus barkerae Snijman : This endemic occurs in the North Cape. The stocks are considered stable. In 2004 it was classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus canaliculatus Levyns : This endemic occurs only in an area smaller than 50 km² from Rooiels to Betty's Bay in the Western Cape. In the only three known localities there are fewer than 1000 flowering specimens. The stocks are continuously decreasing due to house building on the coast, extinguishing bush fires and taking specimens for horticulture. It thrives in fynbos in swampy coastal lowlands. This species only blooms after a fire. In 2007 it was rated as “endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus carneus Ker Gawl. : It occurs in the South African provinces of Eastern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal . The stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus coccineus L. (Syn .: Haemanthus concolor Herb. , Haemanthus moschatus Jacq. , Haemanthus splendens Dinter , Haemanthus tigrinus Jacq. ): It is in southern Africa from southern Namibia to the South African provinces of the Eastern, Northern and Western Cape of the Keiskamma River to the Cape Peninsula. It thrives in winter rain areas in the Renosterveld and Fynbos. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus crispus Snijman (Syn .: Haemanthus undulatus Herb. ): It occurs in the Western and Northern Cape. Your stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus dasyphyllus Snijman : It occurs from Kamiesberg to Loeriesfontein in the North Cape. It thrives in crevices in the fynbos and in the succulent karoo. Only four sites are known, they are considered not threatened because they are inaccessible. It was rated “Rare” = “rare, but not endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus deformis Hook. f. (Syn .: Haemanthus baurii Baker , Haemanthus mackenii Baker ): It occurs from Umtata to Durban in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. The locations are widely isolated from each other and the stocks are never rich in specimens, usually only 5 to 15. It thrives on the edges of forests near the coast, in grasslands, in the coastal area of the Indian Ocean and in the savannah, in sheltered areas under bushes or on damp gravel banks. The stocks are continuously decreasing as they are collected as medicinal plants for folk medicine. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa as "vulnerable" = "endangered".
Haemanthus graniticus Snijman : This endemic occurs from Springbok to Kamiesberg in the North Cape. It thrives in the Namaqualand-Klipkoppe-Buschland or Namaqualand-Granit-Renosterveld. The only three known sites are continuously endangered by arable farming and collecting for horticulture. In 2004 it was rated as “endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus humilis Jacq. : There are two subspecies:
- Haemanthus humilis subsp. hirsutus (Baker) Snijman (Syn .: Haemanthus hirsutus Baker ): It is common in Lesotho , Swaziland and the South African provinces of Eastern Cape, Free State , Gauteng , KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga . It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
- Haemanthus humilis Jacq. subsp. humilis (Syn .: Haemanthus nelsonii Baker ): It is distributed in Botswana and large parts of South Africa. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus lanceifolius Jacq. : This endemic occurs from Vanrhynsdorp to Calvinia in the Western and Northern Cape. It thrives in the Succulent Karoo, either on wind-transported sand or on stony soils over dolomite rock . He is only known from four sites. In the last 60 years at least 30% of the original area has been lost to arable farming. The remaining stocks are continuously impaired by invasive plant species. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa as "vulnerable" = "endangered".
Haemanthus montanus Baker (Syn .: Haemanthus amarylloides sensu Baker non Jacq. ): It is distributed in Botswana and in the South African provinces of Eastern Cape, Free State, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus namaquensis R.A.Dyer : It is distributed in southern Africa from southern Namibia to Kharkams in Namaqualand in the North Cape. It is known from eight localities in the Namaqualand, which are widely isolated from each other. At each location there are only a few, mostly not ten, specimens that reproduce vegetatively. It thrives in the desert and in the Succulent Karoo under low shrubs or sheltered between granite rocks. In 2007 it was rated “Rare” = “rare, but not endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus nortieri Isaac : This endemic occurs only in the Nardous Mountains in the Western Cape. It thrives in the fynbos on seasonally water-saturated seepage areas between flat sandstone cliffs. There are only three known sites on a total area of less than 100 km². The populations are continuously decreasing due to grazing animals, road building, collecting for horticulture and invasive plant species. In 2004 it was rated as “endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus pauculifolius Snijman & AEvan Wyk : It occurs in Swaziland and from the Middle Pongolo River reservoir and Blyderivierspoort to Pigg's Peak in KwaZulu-Natal and Mpumalanga. It thrives in the savannah and in forests on rock walls on humus-rich rock crevices. It is known from six localities in South Africa. The stocks are not endangered because they are difficult to access. In 2011 it was rated “Rare” = “rare, but not endangered” on the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus pubescens L. f. : There are three subspecies:
- Haemanthus pubescens subsp. arenicola Snijman : It is distributed from southern Namibia to the Groen River in Namaqualand in the North Cape. It thrives in the desert and in the Succulent Karoo in the Succulent Karoo Bushland as well as in the West Coast Strandveld in deep, wind-blown red coastal sands. In South Africa there are eight localities with isolated specimens that are far apart in the habitat. In 2009 it was rated “Rare” = “rare, but not endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
- Haemanthus pubescens subsp. leipoldtii Snijman : This endemic occurs only from Vanrhynsdorp to Klawer in the Western Cape. It thrives in a mix of sand plains fynbos, succulent karoo, and strandveld in areas with an accumulation of loose, wind-blown sand. It is only known from three localities, two of which suffer from habitat loss , partly due to arable farming and infrastructure development . In 2004 it was classified in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa as "vulnerable" = "endangered".
- Haemanthus pubescens L. f. subsp. pubescens : It occurs in the South African province of Western Cape . Your stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus pumilio Jacq. : This endemic occurs only near Stellenbosch in the Western Cape. It thrives in the Renosterveld in heavy soils on seasonally water-saturated loam plains. In the past 90 years, 66% of the original area was lost, with at least 20% having disappeared in 60 years due to agriculture and urbanization. Only two sites with a total of around 2000 flowering specimens are known. The remaining stocks are threatened by being picked up for horticulture and by eating by rodents and grasshoppers. Bush fires are also a hazard. In 2004 it was rated as “endangered” in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa.
Haemanthus sanguineus Jacq. (Syn .: Haemanthus incarnatus Burch. Ex Herb. , Haemanthus rotundifolius Ker Gawl. ): It is widespread in the Western and Eastern Cape. Your stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.
Haemanthus tristis Snijman : This endemic occurs only in the southeastern Tanqua Karoo in the Western and Northern Cape. Only five localities are known, each of which has only isolated onions, but this species is not endangered. It thrives in the Succulent Karoo in flat, seasonally humid locations on soils that have formed over Ecca shale. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Plant Species in South Africa as "vulnerable" = "endangered".
Haemanthus unifoliatus Snijman : It occurs in the North Cape. Your stocks are considered stable. It is classified in the Red List of Endangered Species in South Africa as “least concern” = “not endangered”.

use

A few species (for example Haemanthus albiflos , Haemanthus coccineus , Haemanthus deformis , Haemanthus montanus ) are used as ornamental plants. Some types are used in folk medicine .

photos

Haemanthus coccineus : inflorescences thatactas a flower , blooms while the plant has no leaves:

Haemanthus sanguineus in the habitat . It blooms while the plant has no leaves:

During the growing season, the leaves are arranged flat on the ground.
inflorescence

swell

AW Meerow, JR Clayton: Generic relationships among the baccate-fruited Amaryllidaceae (tribe Haemantheae) inferred from plastid and nuclear non-coding DNA sequences. In: Plant Systematics and Evolution Volume 244, 2004, pp. 141-155: Online. doi : 10.1007 / s00606-003-0085-z
Dee Snijman: Haemanthus L. , 2005: data sheet at plantzafrica.com

Individual evidence

↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab species list for Haemanthus in the Red List of South African Plants . Retrieved October 19, 2014
↑ ^a ^b Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Haemanthus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved October 19, 2014.
↑ Species list on the Amaryllidaceae website. ( Memento of the original from May 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2
↑ Gordon Cheers (Ed.): Botanica. The ABC of plants. 10,000 species in text and images . Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft, 2003, ISBN 3-8331-1600-5 (therein pages 422-423).

Web links

Commons : Blood Flowers ( Haemanthus ) - Album with pictures, videos and audio files

Culture of Haemanthus (English; PDF file; 41 kB)
Haemanthus . In: S. Dressler, M. Schmidt, G. Zizka (Eds.): African plants - A Photo Guide. Senckenberg, Frankfurt / Main 2014.
Video: The nucleus and cell division in Haemanthus . Institute for Scientific Film (IWF) 2005, made available by the Technical Information Library (TIB), doi : 10.3203 / IWF / C-7132 .

[RedListSA-1] ↑ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab species list for Haemanthus in the Red List of South African Plants . Retrieved October 19, 2014

[WCSP-2] Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Haemanthus. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved October 19, 2014.

[AmaryllidaceaeOrg-3] Species list on the Amaryllidaceae website. ( Memento of the original from May 4, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2

[Botanica-4] Gordon Cheers (Ed.): Botanica. The ABC of plants. 10,000 species in text and images . Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft, 2003, ISBN 3-8331-1600-5 (therein pages 422-423).