Torch lily, Red hot poker
Kniphofia foliosa
Family: Xanthorrhoeaceae
What it is like
A robust herb. It keeps growing from year to year. It grows 1.7 m tall. It forms clumps. It often does not have a stem but can have one 40 cm tall. The leaves are in a ring at the base. They are simple and spreading. They are 100 cm long by 4 cm wide. There are fine teeth along the edge. The flowers are at the top in a clump 15-40 cm long. They are yellow, orange or red. The fruit is an oval capsule. It is 8 mm long. There are a few brown to black seeds.
There are about 65 Kniphofia species. Also put in the family Asphodelaceae.
Where it is found
It grows on mountainsides at 2,500-4,000 m altitude.
Countries/locations it is found in
Africa, East Africa, Ethiopia
How it is used for food
Edible parts
Rhizome, root