English: Red root, referring to the red sap of the corms.
Family:
HaemodoraceaeRegion: South Africa, Western Cape, Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal.
Habitat: warm, near frost-free environments; require moist, well drained soil; etlands, stream banks, marshy areas; in seasonally waterlogged or consistently moist environments.
Use: as a red dye; ornamental.
BotanyHerb; cormous; perennial; 1.5–2 meters tall.
Root: tuberous; with red pigment, a characteristic of the family.
Leaves: arranged in a fan-like manner, from basal tufts; long, sword-shaped; narrow; pleated.
Inflorescence: erect spikes; dense; upright; branched; thyrse-like.
Flowers: bright yellow; star-shaped; with six petals; blooming from bottom to top, from spring to summer.
Petals: There are three bright yellow petals. These are distinct and slightly larger than the sepals, giving the flower its star-like appearance.
Sepals: There are three sepals, which are also yellow and resemble the petals in shape and size, making it difficult to distinguish between the two at first glance.
Arrangement: The petals and sepals alternate and form a simple, open flower structure, with both whorls (sepals and petals) in groups of three, which is typical of monocots.
Stamens: three; one of which is positioned differently from the other two; filaments are relatively short and positioned around the central ovary; anthers yellow; dehiscing.
Ovary: superior; carpels 3; cylindrical or slightly rounded at the base of the flower.
Nectary: at the base of the flower, near the ovary.
Pollination: bees and other pollinators.