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Boophone disticha

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Origin in Namibia.


Fruit from Windhoek Botanical Garden.


Wild plants from Namibia.


Origin in Namibia.

Author:  William Herbert, 1821
Family:  AMARYLLIDACEAE
Origin:  Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Eswatini, Kenya, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zaïre, Zimbabwe, South Africa
Soil:  Mix - Grit
Water:  Medium
Sun:  Maximum
Thickness:  30 Centimetres
Height:  50 Centimetres
Flower:  Pink - Red
Propagate:  Seeds
Names:  Bushman Poison Bulb, Candelabra Flower, Cape Poison Bulb, Century Plant, Fan Leaved Boophane, Kaffir Onion, Poison Bulb, Red Posy, Sore Eye Flower, Veld Fan, Windball, Fireball, Oxkiller Fan, Tumbleweed
Synonyms:  Amaryllis districha, Linné Jr, 1782.
Amaryllis toxicaria,
D.Dietr.
Boophone intermedia,
M.Roem.
Boophone longipedicellata,
Pax.
Boophone toxicaria,
Herb.
Brunsvigia ciliaris,
Ker Gawl.
Brunsvigia disticha,
Sweet
Brunsvigia rautanenii,
Baker.
Brunsvigia toxicaria,
Ker Gawl.
Haemanthus ciliaris,
L.
Haemanthus distichus,
L.f. ex Savage
Haemanthus robustus,
Pax.
Haemanthus sinuatus,
Schult. & Schult.f.
Haemanthus toxicarius,
L.f. ex Aiton.
BUphane disticha

BoophAne disticha

This member of the Amaryllidaceae family was given this name by William Herbert in 1821. It is found in Southern half of Africa, growing in a well drained soil with some water. The bulb can grow to 30 centimetres, the leaves will reach 50 centimetres. The flowers are pink to red, and seeds are the only way of reproducing this plant.

The genera name from from Greek; bouphonos; 'killing cattle'. The species name means 'having two rows, arranged in two rows' for the leaves.

Very POISONOUS: Contains buphandrin, buphanine and crinamidine and eugenol. The bulbs have been used as arrow-poison by the Sand People.