''Gethyllis'' (probably from Greek ''"gethyon"'', bulb), commonly called Kukumakranka, Koekemakranka, or Kroekemakrank, is a genus of bulbous plant in the Amaryllid family with some 33 accepted species.. It is native to the Cape Provinces, the Northern Provinces and the Free State of South Africa, as well as Botswana and Namibia.

Description

The fragrant, solitary, white flower appears late December. Flowering is well-synchronised to increase the odds of cross-pollination, the genus being incapable of self-fertilisation. Triggering of mass flowering is thought to result from a sudden change in barometric pressure. Some three months later the edible, scented creamy-white to orange-yellow to rich burgundy-red, club-shaped fruit starts pushing above the soil surface. The inferior ovary is located well below ground-level where the developing fruit or berry is hidden until its growth forces it into view. Emergence of the fruit is followed almost immediately by the first leaves. The ripe fruit falls over and sheds its short-lived seeds, ready to take advantage of the winter rains. The genus is easily identified by its spirally twisted grey-green, strap-like leaves which develop during the winter months (May - August). The ripe fruit is sometimes used to impart its special aroma to bottles of

brandy Brandy is a liquor produced by distilling wine. Brandy generally contains 35–60% alcohol by volume (70–120 US proof) and is typically consumed as an after-dinner digestif. Some brandies are aged in wooden casks. Others are coloured with ...

Taxonomy

This winter-growing genus is closely related to ''

Apodolirion ''Apodolirion'' is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Amaryllis family ( Amaryllidaceae, subfamily Amaryllidoideae). It consists of 6 species distributed in South Africa. The name ''Apodolirion'' comes from the Greek an ...

'' , which has 6 species found in both summer and winter regions, ranging from the Southern Cape to the summer-rainfall area of the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

. The two genera together constitute the

subtribe Subtribe is a taxonomic category ranking which is below the rank of tribe and above genus. The standard suffix for a subtribe is -ina (in animals) or -inae (in plants Plants are predominantly photosynthetic eukaryotes of the kingdom Plant ...

Gethyllidinae. ;SpeciesSanbi Red List of South African Plants, genus Gethyllis
/ref> ;Formerly included A few names have been coined using the name ''Gethyllis'', but referring to species now considered better suited to other genera ''(

Curculigo ''Curculigo'' is a flowering plant genus in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1788. It is widespread across tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Americas. Curculin is a sweet protein that was discovered and isolated in ...

Empodium ''Empodium'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Hypoxidaceae, first described in 1866. It grows from a small corm which produces lance-shaped or pleated and sometimes hairy, star-shaped flowers and leaves with long in Autumn season. Th ...

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Distribution and habitat

''Gethyllis'' has an extensive distribution covering the winter-rainfall area of the southern portion of Namibia and throughout the Cape Provinces, with the Vanrhynsdorp-Nieuwoudtville region showing the greatest species diversity.

Notes

References

Bibliography

External links

''Gethyllis'' links''Gethyllis'' images''Gethyllis'' images
{{Taxonbar, from=Q149261 Amaryllidaceae genera Amaryllidoideae Flora of Southern Africa