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Clivia miniata Regel

Kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassLiliopsidaMonocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
SubclassLiliidaeIncludes lilies, orchids, and many others
OrderAsparagalesA diverse group that includes asparagus
FamilyAmaryllidaceaeAmaryllis family—plants that grow from bulbs. Includes onions and many others
GenusCliviaFor Lady Charlotte Clive, Duchess of Northumberland, who first cultivated it in England
SpeciesminiataFor minium, or red lead (Pb₃O₄), a brilliant orange oxide of lead that resembles the flower color

About plant names...

Natal lily is native to damp woodlands in South Africa, from Morgan's Bay in the Eastern Cape Province up into northern KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland. It is not found in the wild in North America. Cultivars like these, popular as house plants, are often called Kaffir lilies.

Identification: Plants are up to 2½′ (80 cm) in height. Leaves are basal, straplike and long in their natural habitats—usually about 3′ (1 m), rarely approaching 6½′ (2 m), and 1¾-3½″ (5-9 cm) wide. Dense, spherical flowerheads contain 8-20 flowers, each about 1″ (2.5 cm) across, with six petals. The natural flowers are vermillion with a pale yellow throat. Various cultivars are orange, apricot-colored, red, yellow, and pink with white or cream-colored centers. Fruits are bright orange to red (yellow with some cultivars).

Edibility: Poisonous. Skull & Crossbones Contains alkaloids, including lycorine. Symptoms include salivation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; paralysis can result if large amounts are ingested.

Online References:

The South African National Biodiversity Institute's web site, plantzafrica.com

Www.cliviasociety.org

Wikipedia

Plants.ces.ncsu.edu

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/26/2012 · Joy and Jim’s, Manfield, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 7 × 4½″ (17 × 11 cm)

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/24/2010 · San Diego (Quail) Botanic Garden, Encinitas, Cali­fornia

 

Clivia miniata description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/26/2012 · Joy and Jim’s, Manfield, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 6 × 4″ (15 × 10 cm)

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/26/2012 · Joy and Jim’s, Manfield, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 9 × 6″ (23 × 15 cm)

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/26/2012 · Joy and Jim’s, Manfield, Mass­a­chu­setts · ≈ 1 × 2′ (41 × 62 cm)

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/26/2012 · Joy and Jim’s, Manfield, Mass­a­chu­setts

Clivia miniata (kaffir lily, Natal lily, bush lily)

2/26/2010 · San Diego Zoo, San Diego, Cali­fornia

Range: Zones 9b-11:

About this map...