What is Cyrtanthus?
Cyrtanthus is a genus of plants belonging to the Amaryllidaceae family. The genus includes about 60 species of cow plant and is considered the largest family of the family. Most species are endemic to southern and eastern parts of Africa, with the highest concentration of species found in the southern parts of the Eastern Cape. In South Africa, species can be found in all nine provinces and dwell in a wide range of habitats. Some show how they grow on the banks of wet bushy streams, act as epiphytes or grow on another plant. On the other hand, there are species that grow in desert conditions. The deciduous species can be further sorted into winter and summer growing species. Those species that grow in winter usually occur in southern capes, while the types of summer cultivation, eastern and northern South Africa. Evergreen species cyrtanthus are also found in the southern and eastern parts of the country. This includes c. Mackenii and c. Brachyscyphus while the exception - C. Herrei - can be found nand northern cape.
In terms of physical properties, species in the family cyrtanthus are very diverse. Some flowers are in the shape of a star, such as c. Guthrieae , also known as Bredasdorp Lily, while some have bell -shaped flowers such as c. Breviflorus . Other types such as c. Falcatus have trumpeter -shaped flowers, while c. Even leaves and stems of flowers belonging to this family tend to differ from species to species. Some have leaves similar to grass, such as c. Leucanthus , while others have wide and twisted leaves such as c. Herrei .
Most types of cyrtanthus can be found naturally growing in his habitat; One can rarely find these plants in cultivation. Many species are not well known because only a few can adapt well to the municipalityno cultivation. Growing these plants in a foreign environment is an exact science. Therefore, species belonging to this genus can usually be found only by cultivated specialized growers who understand these types of plants very well.
For example, one challenge for gardeners is that many species belonging to the family cyrtanthus are susceptible to the Narcissus fly. This is particularly complicated because the larvae can discreetly attack larger bulbs. One did not even notice that the plant was contaminated until its leaves die and its bulb shows that it is consumed from the inside.