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Hesperantha coccinea (Backh. & Harv.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Scarlet river lily (en), Hespéranthe écarlate (fr)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Iridaceae > Hesperantha

Characteristics

Plants up to 450 mm high. Rootstock a creeping rhizome. Stem usually unbranched, sometimes bearing cormlets in aerial axils. Leaves several, narrowly lanceolate to ± linear, somewhat fleshy, lower 3 or 4 basal and longest, reaching to about the base of the spike, 7-10 mm wide, upper 3 or 4 leaves cauline and progressively shorter. Spike usually with 12 or more flowers; bracts green, outer 20-25 mm long, inner 2-keeled, ± 2/3 as long. Flowers salver-shaped, diurnal, red or pink, unscented; perianth tube ± 25 mm long, cylindric, expanded near apex; tepals elliptic, spreading, shallowly spooned, mostly 25-28 x 12-15 mm, inner slightly narrower than outer. Filaments ± 10 mm long; anthers ± 8 mm long, brown; pollen dull yellow. Style branches ± 20 mm long, laxly spreading over tepals, exceeding anthers in closed flower. Capsules club-shaped, 12-15 mm long. Seeds angular, ± 2 x 1.2 mm, with loose, translucent, light brown seed coat with a smooth outline, slightly ridged on angles.
More
Perennial herb, geophyte, 0.20-0.45 m high; rootstock rhizomatous; stem slender, terete. Leaves usually 2 or 3, in basal rosette, linear, erect, glabrous. Bracts green, herbaceous, lanceolate. Inflorescence a 6-8-flowered, lax spike, distichous; flowers deep crimson; perianth tube straight, erect; tepals as long as tube, oblong acute. Stamens with anthers ± 8 mm long, equaling filaments. Flowering time Dec.-Apr. Capsule sessile, obtuse.
Rhizomatous geophyte, up to 0.75 m high; sometimes with axillary cormlets. Leaves with blade linear, grass-like, with a distinct midrib. Flowers: 6-8, ± 65 mm in diameter, arranged in a lax, distichous spike; filaments 6-12 mm long; anthers 3-9 mm long, yellow to whitish; perianth with segments pink or red; Nov.-Apr.
Perennial herb, up to 0.75 m high. Rhizomatous. Leaves linear, grasslike, furnished with a distinct midrib. Flowers 6-8, arranged in a lax distichous spike; bright pinkish red.
Pending.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) 0.1 - 0.5
Mature height (meter) 0.5 - 0.75
Root system creeping-root rhizome
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Occasional garden escape.
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 3-5
Soil texture -
Soil acidity 2-8
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 7-10

Usage

Garden ornamental, various cultivars.
Uses ornamental
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) -
Germination temperacture (C°) -
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Hesperantha coccinea unspecified picture

Distribution

Hesperantha coccinea world distribution map, present in Australia, Lesotho, eSwatini, South Africa, and Zimbabwe

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:991373-1
WFO ID wfo-0000782761
COL ID 3L482
BDTFX ID 101627
INPN ID 610616
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR) Link

Synonyms

Hesperantha coccinea Schizostylis coccinea Schizostylis ixioides Schizostylis pauciflora
WorldFloraDB 2024