Haemanthus albiflos

Paintbrush or elephant's tongue
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Amaryllidaceae
Subfamily: Amaryllidoideae
Genus: Haemanthus
Species:
H. albiflos
Binomial name
Haemanthus albiflos
Distribution of H. albiflos in South Africa
Synonyms[1]
  • Diacles ciliaris Salisb. nom. inval.
  • Diacles pubescens (Herb.) Salisb. nom. inval.
  • Haemanthus albomaculatus Baker
  • Haemanthus intermedius (Herb.) M.Roem.
  • Haemanthus leucanthus Miq.
  • Haemanthus pubescens (Herb.) Ker Gawl. nom. illeg.
  • Haemanthus virescens Herb.

Haemanthus albiflos is a species of flowering plant in the family Amaryllidaceae, native to the coast and mountains of South Africa. It is sometimes given the English name paintbrush, not to be confused with Castilleja species which also have this name. It is an evergreen bulbous perennial geophyte, prized horticulturally for its unusual appearance and extreme tolerance of neglect. H. albiflos is the only Haemanthus species found in both winter and summer rainfall regions, and has a mainly coastal distribution from the southern Cape through the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal, showing a preference for cool, shady spots.

  1. ^ "The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species". Retrieved 18 February 2015.