Chasmanthe

N. E. Brown

Trans. Roy. Soc. South Africa 20: 272. 1932.

Etymology: Greek chasme, gap, and anthos, flower, alluding to the shape of the flower
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Treatment on page 403. Mentioned on page 349.

Herbs, perennial, from corms. Stems simple or branched. Leaves several; blade plane, ensiform. Inflorescences spicate, axes usually lightly flexed, many-flowered; bracts green or purplish, ± equal, coriaceous. Flowers unscented, zygomorphic; tepals connate into tube, orange to scarlet (rarely yellow), unequal, dorsal tepal horizontal, more than 2 times others, other tepals spreading to reflexed; perianth tube slender, cylindric proximally, abruptly expanded, longer, wider, horizontal distally; stamens unilateral, extended horizontally below dorsal tepal; anthers parallel; style arching over filaments, branching opposite to or beyond anthers; branches 3, filiform, shallowly notched apically. Capsules irregularly globose, cartilaginous. Seeds 2–4 per locule, globose; seed coat bright orange, sometimes somewhat fleshy. x = 10.

Distribution

Introduced; South Africa.

Discussion

Species 3 (1 in the flora).