Here is the rest of the Haemanthus introduction: Dr Snijman has classified Haemanthus into four groups of closely allied species: H. humilis Group 1. H. humilis Jacq. 2. H. carneus Ker Gawler 3. H. montanus Baker 4. H. avasmontanus Dinter H. crispus group 5. H. crispus Snijman 6. H. barkerae Snijman 7. H. tristis Snijman 8. H. namaquensis R.A. Dyer H. albiflos group 9. H. albiflos Jacq. 10. H. deformis Hook f. 11. H. pauculifolius Snijman H. coccineus group 12. H. sanguineus Jacq. 13. H. canaliculatus Levyns 14. H. pumilio Jacq. 15. H. lanceifolius Jacq. 16. H. amarylloides Jacq. 17. H. graniticus Snijman 18. H. nortieri Isaac 19. H. coccineus L. 20. H. dasyphyllus Snijman 21. H. unifoliatus Snijman 22. H. pubescens L.f. The Haemanthus humilis group, which are summer rainfall species, flower from mid summer. Haemanthus avasmontanus is known from the type specimens only, collected from the Auasberge, south east of Windhoek in central Namibia. The winter rainfall species, which include both the H crispus and H. coccineus groups flower in autumn. A number of species in the winter rainfall region are locally endemic and under considerable threat. The most notable of these are H. tristis, H canaliculatus, H. pumilio and H. lanceifolius. The H. albiflos group are evergreen and flower in winter or early spring. My personal experience of Haemanthus is confined largely to the summer rainfall species, and more specifically to those which occur in the Eastern Cape. My observations of Haemanthus in the Eastern Cape were published in the September 2004 edition of Veld and Flora, the organ of the South African Botanical Society. I have been fascinated by the variability of local populations, particularly of the H. humilis humilis group which occur over a wide range of habitats. H. humilis is widespread but occurs in isolated and localised populations in specialised habitats, which is probably the reason for the variation between populations. The most spectacular form is one we call "Giant" which we observed with binoculars growing on a steep cliff in full shade on the opposite bank of the Great Kei River. I had to swim the river and scale the cliff to get seed, and now have a well established population in the nursery as a seed source and bulbs of various ages for sale. It has leaves as large as 60cm in diameter and it has an enormous flower head. In sharp contrast is a miniature form growing near King Williams Town with tiny flower heads on stems less than 20cm in height, which we call "Dwarf". Two other noteworthy variations of H. humilis in the Eastern Cape are an early flowering form from the Graaff Reinet area of the central Karoo. This form has small cerise flowers with bright yellow stamens very, very attractive. We have also collected seed from a pure white form with pubescent leaves growing in Acacia thicket in the Stutterheim district of which we now have stock. Closely allied to H. humilis is the enigmatic H. carneus known from only a very few disjunct populations. This rare species flowers in January and is distinguished by a looser, widely spreading umbel and stamens included well within the perianth, the only known Haemanthus with this feature. It has the same growth pattern as H. humilis, with leaves emerging just after the flowers and persisting to late spring. It occurs in Acacia thicket and grassland on a mountain near Somerset East. One wonders whether H. carneus should be considered separate from H. humilis on the basis of the small difference mentioned above. What confuses the issue is a further form which occurs some 40km further west on Bruintjieshoogte, which has stamens the same length as the perianth tube, a feature shared by the white form of H. humilis from Stutterheim mentioned above. These seem to be intermediate between H. carneus and H. humilis. Isolated populations of Haemanthus with included stamens occurring near Escourt in Natal and near Jagersfontain in the Free State, have been attributed to H. carneus. Charles Craib writing in IBSA Bulletin No. 48 (1999) expressing the same reservation, also queried this distinction, basing his query on the fact that populations of H. carneus and H. humilis hirsutus occur near to each other in identical habitats near Estcourt. Dr Snijman, commenting in the same publication suggests that the shorter stamens of H. carneus could be an adaptation to exploit a different pollinator to H. humilis, and that should this be the case, it is possible that two taxanomic entities might be reproductively isolated in the wild despite their shared physical habitats and close geographic proximity to one another. Haemanthus montanus occurs in isolated local populations from the Eastern Cape northwards. The Bedford district is probably its most southern extremity. H. montanus grows in small areas of poorly drained shallow soil with an impervious substratum. It completes its annual cycle in four to five months, the period during which its fairly hostile habitat remains moist. It occurs in dense stands, the large cream flowers appearing from December to January, rapidly followed by two upright leaves. The seed ripens by mid-February and germinates rapidly around the parent plants. The leaves dry off and blow away by the end of May when all signs of the bulb population have vanished. The most widespread Haemanthus in the Eastern Cape is H. albiflos which is amazingly adaptive and versatile in its habitat. It is a particularly desirable and easy to grow garden subject and is also suitable as a ground cover in areas of semi-shade. It is equally at home in deep shade on forest floors, on rocky sea shores exposed to salt spray, in coastal dune forest, on cliff faces in hot river valleys where it clings in large clumps to crevasses in full sun, and in shady places on high altitude inland mountain ranges. It is evergreen and multiplies vegetatively, as well as from seed. The attractive white flowers appear in May and the ripe seeds are carried in equally attractive clusters of scarlet fruit. It is very surprising to find the West Cape species, H. coccineus, which flowers in autumn, occurring as far east as the Keiskamma River valley near Hamburg It grows here in Valley Thicket vegetation together with a small form of H. albiflos which flowers in winter, so they don't hybridize. H. coccineus occurs from here, a summer rainfall region, westwards through the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape and up to the arid regions of Namaqualand and Namibia, an enormous range of 2000+ kilometers and climate variation! The flower stems can be reddish, or blotched with red. and the leaves have varying degrees of stripes and dots on the underside. Recently we moved to Napier in the Western Cape where H. coccineus and H. sanguineus grow in the wild. Both species have very similar flowers and occur in the same habitats. They are only easily distinguishable by the leaves, and since they bloom before leaves emerge, it is sometimes a puzzle to be sure of the species. In contrast to H coccineus, H. sanguineus has tough, leathery leaves, rounder in shape with a distinct reddish margin and always flat on the ground. There are no markings on the underside of the leaves. Haemanthus are easy to propagate from seed. Seed will germinate soon after ripening but germination can be retarded by keeping it in a fridge. Sowing of seed is easiest after a strong radicle has formed, when they can be placed in rows in a seed box of well drained seedling mix with the radicle in the soil and the seed on the surface. Water sparingly but do not allow the seed box to dry out. Leaves form rapidly. Most species retain their leaves for the first year. Seedling bulbs can be kept in seed boxes for a year or two after which they should be transferred to individual containers. The secret is well drained soil rich in organic matter. Winter rainfall species should be kept dry in summer and only watered again when growing season commences in late summer. Summer rainfall species are more tolerant of watering all year round and should not be allowed to dry out completely in their dormant phase. Evergreen species should be kept moist all year round. Species from high altitudes such as H. humilis, H. carneus and H. montanus should be fairly hardy and are able to tolerate 5 to 6 degrees of frost. We have found H. albiflos, H. coccineus and H. humilis "Giant" the easiest to propagate and fastest growers. While not difficult to cultivate, other species are rather slower to develop. It will be interesting to have comments from other growers concerning their experience in propagating Haemanthus. The wonderful flowers that are eventually produced are ample reward for patience and care in growing them. Cameron McMaster africanbulbs at haznet.co.za Please consult the Haemanthus wiki page to see photos of the species described in the introduction: http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/…