Clivia miniata (Kaffir Lily)

Clivia miniata

Clivia miniata Regel

Kaffir Lily, Natal Lily, Bush Lily

Kingdom	Plantae	Plants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta	Vascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
Division	Magnoliophyta	Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms
Class	Liliopsida	Monocots (plants with a single seed leaf); includes the lily family
Subclass	Liliidae	Includes lilies, orchids, and many others
Order	Asparagales	A diverse group that includes asparagus
Family	Amaryllidaceae	Amaryllis family—plants that grow from bulbs. Includes onions and many others
Genus	Clivia	For Lady Charlotte Clive, Duchess of Northumberland, who first cultivated it in England
Species	miniata	For minium, or red lead (Pb₃O₄), a brilliant orange oxide of lead that resembles the flower color

About plant names...

Natal lily is native to damp woodlands in South Africa, from Morgan’s Bay in the Eastern Cape Province up into northern KwaZulu-Natal and Swaziland. It is not found in the wild in North America. Cultivars like these, popular as house plants, are often called Kaffir lilies.

Identification: Plants are up to 31" (80 cm) in height. Leaves are basal, straplike and long in their natural habitats—usually about 3' (1 m), rarely approaching 6½' (2 m), and 1¾-3½" (5-9 cm) wide. Dense, spherical flowerheads contain 8-20 flowers, each about 1" (2.5 cm) across, with six petals. The natural flowers are vermillion with a pale yellow throat. Various cultivars are orange, apricot-colored, red, yellow, and pink with white or cream-colored centers. Fruits are bright orange to red (yellow with some cultivars).

Edibility: Poisonous. Skull & Crossbones Contains alkaloids, including lycorine. Symptoms include salivation, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea; paralysis can result if large amounts are ingested.