Amaryllis paradisicola

Description

Amaryllis paradisicola is a species of bulbous perennial plant from South Africa. Amaryllis paradisicola was described by Dierdré A. Snijman in 1998 in a paper in the journal Bothalia. It is one of only two species in the genus Amaryllis, the other being Amaryllis belladonna, from further south in South Africa. Amaryllis paradisicola flowers in April, producing a group of 10–21 Narcissus-scented flowers, arranged in a ring. They begin purple–pink in colour, and become darker over time. It has broader leaves than A. belladonna, longer stamens and a more deeply divided trifid stigma. Amaryllis paradisicola is known from a single population comprising fewer than 1000 individuals. They grow on shady quartzite cliffs in the Richtersveld National Park, near the town of Vioolsdrif, Northern Cape. This is a much drier and cooler environment than that enjoyed by A. belladonna in the Western Cape. Although it occurs only in a protected area, A. paradisicola is considered a vulnerable species on the Red List of South African Plants, because of the potential effects of damage by baboons. Amaryllis paradisicola is a rare plant and geophyte native to the Northern Cape. There are only two populations in the Richtersveld. The plant was only classified in 1998 after being discovered in 1972. The plant blooms in autumn, the flowers are pink and the plant is deciduous. The leaves appear only after the plant has flowered. Amaryllis paradisicola is a species of Liliopsida described by Deirdré Anne Snijman. Amaryllis paradisicola belongs to the genus Amaryllis, and the family Amaryllidaceae. None of these subspecies are listed. Amaryllis is the only genus in the subtribe Amaryllidinae (tribe Amaryllideae). It is a small genus of flowering bulbs, with two species. The better known of the two, Amaryllis belladonna, is a native of the Western Cape region of South Africa, particularly the rocky southwest area between the Olifants River Valley and Knysna. For many years there was confusion among botanists over the generic names Amaryllis and Hippeastrum, one result of which is that the common name "amaryllis" is mainly used for cultivars of the genus Hippeastrum, widely sold in the winter months for their ability to bloom indoors. Plants of the genus Amaryllis are known as belladonna lily, Jersey lily, naked lady, amarillo, Easter lily in Southern Australia or, in South Africa, March lily due to its propensity to flower around March.