GETHYLLIS LONGISTYLA

This member of the Amaryllidaceae family was given this name by Harry Bolus in 1881. It is found in the southern inlands of South Africa, growing in a well drained soil with some water and lots of sun. The bulb can grow to three centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to ten centimetres in height. The flowers are pink.

The genera name from Greek gethyon, 'bulb'. The species name from Latin; longus; 'long' and stylus; 'style'; referring to the long style, the stalk that bears the receptive stigma. The plant is opportunistic, as the Nama Karoo Biome experiences both summer- and winter rain. In some areas, the flower occurs in the late autumn, followed by the leaves.