Crocosmia aurea (Pappe ex Hook.) Planch.
subsp. aurea

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Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Vumba Rd in Bunga Forest.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
John Meikle Forestry Estate, Stapleford

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Morumbodzi Falls, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Morumbodzi Falls, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Morumbodzi Falls, lower slopes Mt Gorongosa.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Staff Camp, Nyika national Park.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Staff Camp, Nyika national Park.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Staff Camp, Nyika national Park.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Main road from Thazima Gate, Nyika National Park

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Main road from Thazima Gate, Nyika National Park

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Chelinda Staff Camp, Nyika national Park.

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Luwawa Forest Reserve, Viphya, Mzimba

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Luwawa Forest Reserve, Viphya, Mzimba

Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

Photo: Bart Wursten
Luwawa Forest Reserve, Viphya, Mzimba

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Species details: Click on each item to see an explanation of that item (Note: opens a new window)

Synonyms: Tritonia aurea Pappe ex Hook.
Common names: Montbretia (English) Valentine flower (English)
Frequency:
Status: Native
Description:
Perennial herb, normally 60-100 cm, growing from corms and spreading by underground stolons. Stems strongly arched, often branched. Leaves several, linear-lanceolate, shorter or longer than the stem. Inflorescence a terminal 7-12-flowered spike. Flowers usually directed towards the ground, bright orange-red, sometimes with darker markings at the base of the tepals; tepals narrowly elliptic, 12-38 mm long, spreading horizontally. Capsules depressed globose, 12-15 mm in diameter, bright orange-red on the inside. and spreading by underground stolons.
Type location:
South Africa
Notes:
Derivation of specific name: aurea: golden.
Habitat: In forest margins and clearings.
Altitude range: (metres)
Flowering time:Dec - Apr (-Jul)
Worldwide distribution: DRC, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mpumalanga, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape, South Africa.
Botanical divisions:
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters: Display spot characters for this species
Literature:

Baumann, G. (2005). Photographic Guide to Wildflowers of Malawi Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi Pages 204 - 205. (Includes a picture).

Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 309. (Includes a picture).

Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 17.

Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 127. As Crocosmia aurea

Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22 SANBI, Pretoria Page 186. only as C. aurea

Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 49 - 51. (Includes a picture).

Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 92.

Moriarty, A. (1975). Wild Flowers of Malawi Purnell & sons Cape Town. Pages 11 - 12. (Includes a picture).

Strugnell, A.M. (2006). A Checklist of the Spermatophytes of Mount Mulanje, Malawi Scripta Botanica Belgica 34 National Botanic Garden of Belgium Page 110.

Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 83.


Other sources of information about Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea:

Our websites:

Flora of Angola: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea
Flora of Malawi: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea
Flora of Mozambique: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea
Flora of Tanzania: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea
Flora of Zambia: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea
Flora of Zimbabwe: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Crocosmia aurea
African Plant Database: Crocosmia aurea
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Crocosmia aurea
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Crocosmia aurea
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Crocosmia aurea
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Crocosmia aurea
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Crocosmia aurea
JSTOR Plant Science: Crocosmia aurea
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Crocosmia aurea
Plants of the World Online: Crocosmia aurea
Tropicos: Crocosmia aurea
Wikipedia: Crocosmia aurea


Copyright: The DRC flora team, 2024-26

The DRC flora team (2026). Flora of the Democratic Republic of the Congo: Species information: Crocosmia aurea subsp. aurea.
https://www.drcongoflora.com/speciesdata/species.php?species_id=115850, retrieved 17 September 2026

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