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The Amaryllis Family: Genus Crossyne

The genus Crossyne in the Amaryllis Family (Amaryllidaceae) is endemic to the Western Cape of South Africa. They are herbaceous perennials growing from a true bulb. The flowers are borne in an umbel, a cluster at the top of the peduncle or stalk.

This genus is most closely related to Boophone and Crinum, and their close relatives.

There are just two species in the genus:

flava (W.F.Barker ex Snijman) D.Müll.-Doblies & U.Müll.-Doblies
   Distribution: Northwestern part of Western Cape Province
   Winter-growing
   Flowers: 100 to 200, small, yellow
   
   
   
guttata (L.) D.Müll.-Doblies & U.Müll.-Doblies
   Distribution: Southwestern part of Western Cape Province
   Winter-growing
   Flowers: 100 to 200, small, purple
   
   
   

Other Sources of Information

Bjørnstad, I.N & Friis, I. (Friis, I. & Nordal, I.)1972-1976. Studies on the genus Haemanthus L. (Amaryllidaceae) I--IV. Norw. J. Bot. 19: 187--206; 19: 207--222; 21: 243--275; 23: 63--77. The last reference providing keys to the species, list of synonyms, and necessary combinations.
Bulbous Plants of Southern Africa, Neil du Plessis and Graham Duncan, Tafelberg Pub. Ltd., Cape Town (1989).
Bulbs for Warm Climates, Thad M. Howard, University of Texas Press, Austin (2001).
Bulbs, Revised Edition, John E. Bryan, Timber Press, Portland (2002).
Cape Bulbs, Richard L. Doutt, Timber Press, Portland, Portland (1994).
RHS Manual of Bulbs, John Bryan and Mark Griffiths, Eds., Timber Press, Portland (1995).
The Color Encyclopedia of Cape Bulbs, John Manning, Peter Goldblatt, and Dee Snijman, Timber Press, Portland (2002).
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Acknowledgements

For information about this account, contact:
James E. Shields, shieldsgardens@gmail.com
Last revised: 16 February 2013
© Copyright 2013 by James E. Shields. All rights reserved.