Cyrtanthus elatus

Plant Characteristics

Cultivation

Scientific Names

Read about Cyrtanthus elatus in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Vallota purpurea, Herb. Scarborough Lily. Fig. 3899. Bulb large: lvs. appearing with the fls., strap-shaped, 1 1/2 – 2 ft. long, dying down in autumn: peduncle hollow, slightly 2-edged, 2-3 ft. long: fls. scarlet.—The typical form has the scapes about 1 1/2 ft. high and blood-red fls. 2 1/2 in. across. Var. alba, Hort., is a white-fld. form. Var. major, Hort., is 3 ft. high and has fls. over 3 in. across. Var. minor, Hort., is smaller than the type in all parts. Var. eximia, Bull., has fls. 4 in. across, with whitish, feather-like blotches on the base of the perianth-segms. Var. magnifica, Hort., is probably the best and most robust form: fls. 5 in. across, with a white eye. Colors said to be brighter and more uniform than in any other kind. —V. purpurea is a S. African representative of the American genus Hippeastrum, popularly known as "amaryllis." It is a bulbous plant with large red funnel-shaped 6-lobed fls., blooming in Sept. and later. A pair of well-grown specimens in large pots or tubs make a showy ornament for the porch. Plants have been grown with over 50 fl.-trusses, each truss bearing an umbel of 4-9 fls., the individual fls. being 3-4 in. or more across. Vallota is a monotypic genus and is distinguished from Hippeastrum by the seeds being winged at the base. The tube of the fl. is longer than in the typical Hippeastrums and at the base of each perianth-segm. is a cushion-shaped callus somewhat different from the minute scales or distinct neck that is often found at the throat of a Hippeastrum. The plant deserves to be better known among amateurs and cottagers. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

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References

• Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963

External links

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