Hippeastrum puniceum
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Mporokoso-Mukunsa, abandoned village site
Oct 2017
Photo: Mike Bingham
Mporokoso-Mukunsa, abandoned village site
Oct 2017
Photo: Mike Bingham
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| Synonyms: |
Amaryllis punicea Lam. |
| Common names: | Barbados Lily (English) |
| Frequency: | |
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| Description: |
A bulbous plant, leaves to 60 cm long, scape to 60 cm long bearing 2 or 3 unscented flowers 10–12 cm long, rosy coloured with cream centre, of tropical America, but taken by man into cultivation in all countries as an ornamental, and naturalized in West Africa.The plant is commonly grown in cemeteries in the Region, and its persistence in the bush may mark the site of abandoned villages (3). In West Africa it rarely sets seed and propagation is by bulbs. In Congo a decoction of the bulb is drunk for tachycardia, and is taken as a love-philtre to aid seduction (1).Several other H. spp. are recorded as showing considerable activity against avian malaria (2). The property of W African H. puniceum should be examined. (from Jstor/Kew) |
| Type location: |
Tropical South America |
| Notes: | |
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| Altitude range: (metres) | |
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| Worldwide distribution: | Native of tropical America, widely naturalized elsewhere |
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| Endemic status: | |
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| Insects associated with this species: | |
| Spot characters: | Display spot characters for this species |
| Literature: |
Meerts, P. et al. (2026). A checklist of the vascular plants of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. PhytoKeys 277 Zimudzi, C., Archer, R.H., Kwembeya, E.G. & Nordal, I. (2008). Amaryllidacae Flora Zambesiaca 13(1) Page 98. |
Other sources of information about Hippeastrum puniceum:
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Flora of Zambia: cultivated Hippeastrum puniceumExternal websites:
African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Hippeastrum puniceumAfrican Plant Database: Hippeastrum puniceum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Hippeastrum puniceum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Hippeastrum puniceum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Hippeastrum puniceum
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Hippeastrum puniceum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Hippeastrum puniceum
JSTOR Plant Science: Hippeastrum puniceum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Hippeastrum puniceum
Plants of the World Online: Hippeastrum puniceum
Tropicos: Hippeastrum puniceum
Wikipedia: Hippeastrum puniceum