- Hesperantha coccinea
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Hesperantha coccinea 
Scientific classification Kingdom: Plantae (unranked): Angiosperms (unranked): Monocots Order: Asparagales Family: Iridaceae Genus: Hesperantha Species: H. coccinea Binomial name Hesperantha coccinea
(Backh. & Harv.) Goldblatt & J.C.ManningHesperantha coccinea (River Lily or Crimson Flag; syn. Schizostylis coccinea Backh. & Harv.) is a flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
It is a herbaceous perennial plant growing to 60 cm tall, with slender lanceolate leaves up to 40 cm long and 1 cm broad. The flowers are red, occasionally pink or white, 30–35 mm long, with six petals; they are produced four to ten alternately on a spike in late summer to autumn.
Cultivation and uses
It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens for its flowers, used in floristry. It is only hardy to between −5 to −10 °C; in colder regions it is grown under glass (Huxley 1992). It is sometimes known in cultivation as "Kaffir Lily"; this name is best avoided as "kaffir" is considered an offensive ethnic slur in Africa.
References and external links
- PlantZAfrica: Hesperantha coccinea
- UBC Botany Photo of the Day: Hesperantha coccinea
- St Andrews Botanic Garden: Schizostylis coccinea
- Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. Macmillan.
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