|
The Christmas bells (Sandersonia aurantiaca) belongs to Liliaceae (the Lily family). It is a perennial herb that is distributed in the Cape Province, KwaZulu-Natal Province, the Northern Province in South Africa and Swaziland. It grows in subtropical highlands and is 60 to 70 cm tall. It is a monotypic genus. It spends the winter in a bulb and sprouts and grows in spring. The leaves are lanceolate and alternate. In June and July, it produces bright orange lantern-shaped flowers. In Japanese, it is called "Chouchin-yuri" (lantern lily). In English, it is called "Christmas bells" because it blooms around Christmas in its native South Africa. The bulb contains the alkaloid colchicine and is poisonous.
|