Clivia mirabilis Rourke

Stout, rhizomatous, solitary, evergreen perennial, 0.6-1.2 m tall; stem reduced to a vertical rhizome, up to 250 mm long terminating in a tuft of leaves. Root system massive, up to 0.7 m diam., horizontally spreading; roots perennial, very stout, fleshy, up to 20 mm diam., outer surface covered in a corky, velamen-like layer. Leaf sheath prominent, flushed deep carmine (RHS 183A greyed-purple). Leaves long-lived, stiffly erect, distichous, strap-shaped, 0.6-1.2 m long, 30-50 mm wide, flattened to slightly V-shaped with a distinct pale whitish grey striation in the midrib area on upper surface, striation becoming less distinct in older leaves, coriaceous, glabrous, deep dull green, flushed carmine-maroon at base, apex obtuse-acute; margins entire, cartilaginous, usually smooth, occasionally irregularly scabrous, becoming slightly revolute in old, mature leaves. Scape 300-800 mm long, broadly ancipitous, longitudinally ridged, 10-14 mm wide, glabrous, carmine-flushed. Inflorescence umbel-like, 20^1-8-flowered, subtended by 5-7 brownish/carmine, papyraceous spathe valves, narrowly cymbiform-acute, 35-50 x 10-15 mm; pedicels drooping, slender, 25-40 x 1.2 mm, orange-red, abruptly turning green in post-pollination phase. Perianth straight to imperceptibly curved, tubular, becoming progressively flared towards apex, 35-50 x 5 mm below ovary, 10-12 mm diam. at mouth, orange-red (RHS 32B) proximally, green-tipped (RHS 145A) distally on opening, the green changing to yellow (RHS 22B) distally, entire perianth becoming deep orange-red (RHS 33A) after anthesis; tepals fused distally to form a tube 10-15 mm long, outer tepals narrowly oblong, apices acute, inner tepals slightly wider, apices obtuse, outwardly flared. Stamens 6, dorsifixed, 2 mm long, very slightly exserted at anthesis; filaments 30 mm long, attached to tepals 10 mm above ovary; inwardly bowed proximally, adpressed around style at point of attachment forming a 10 mm long nectar well above ovary. Ovary ovoid, shiny, greenish yellow in bud, becoming orange-red at anthesis, changing to bright green in post-pollination phase; ovules 3 or 4 in each locule; style 40^45 mm long, terete, glabrous, tapering distally, included at anthesis, later elongating and becoming exserted 5-8 mm in post-pollination phase; stigma trilobed, lobes 0.4-1.0 mm long, penicillate at apex. Fruiting heads with 25-35 pendent berries. Berries irregularly oblong to ovoid, 10-30 x 10-15 mm, glebulose to submoniliform, often narrowed to a distinct neck above pedicel, apex often tapering to an eccentrically angled beak, containing (1)2-4(-7) gongyloid seeds projecting prominently and irregularly through thin pericarp; pericarp glossy, pale apple green, maturing through yellow, orange to pinkish red; mature berries red (RHS 40B eventually becoming RHS 45B). Seeds somewhat ovoid, slightly faceted, ± 10 mm diam., pearly white; embryo green. (Colour references according to Royal Horticultural Society colour chart).