Fire lily
Cyrtanthus bicolor
Family: Amaryllidaceae
What it is like
A herb. A bulb plant. The bulb is 3 cm across. There are 2 or 3 leaves and these reach full size 1-2 months after flowering. The leaves are narrow and taper to both ends. They are 40 cm long by 1 cm wide. The flowering stalk is 20-30 cm long. It is hollow. There can be up to 10 flowers. They are usually turned to 1 side and nodding. The flowers are tube shaped. They are red.
There are 47 Cyrtanthus species. They grow in tropical and southern Africa.
Where it is found
A tropical plant. In Swaziland it grows in the highveld.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, Eswatini, South Africa, Southern Africa (country/location of origin), Swaziland
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Leaves, flowers, vegetable
How it is grown
Plants are grown by seeds.
Its other names
Local names
Impimpiliza, Ummoimpiliza