Jim McKenney wrote: The bright orange fruits are ornamental; > has anyone ever seen a plant of any of the Scadoxus species where most of > the flowers have set fruit? That must be a spectacular sight! I have and they are. What is puzzling to me is the question of seed dispersal in amaryllids with a fleshy berry and rather soft-skinned seed. Scadoxus, Haemanthus, Clivia have such fruits, turning from green to red when ripe, a characteristic of bird-dispersed fruits. The berries are also within the gape size of most of the 'usual suspects' of fruit-eating birds in Africa. But can the seeds withstand the action of the crop before either regurgitation or defecation? The distribution of Scadoxus multiflorus and S. puniceus over huge tracts of Africa demonstrate that dispersal is effective and potentially long-distance. The range of Clivia is probably restrained by the availability of suitable habitat. Does anyone know if there are studies on dispersal in wild Clivia? Even more intriguing is the case of certain Crinum, especially the East African plains species C. kirkii, which develops a large red capsule containing the usual lumpy, greenish seeds. When ripe this object is very conspicuous and would be expected to be an attractant to dispersers. But a soft crinum seed would not last long in the gizzard of an ostrich or ground hornbill, which are obvious potential candidates. Perhaps the red coloration is unimportant in this case and the seeds just roll away in the usual Crinum way as the capsule opens. I do not know how big Crinum seeds in dry places move more than a few feet from their parent, but can conceive that a rodent or primate might pick them up and carry them a short way (those in damp habitats, including coastlines, obviously have flotation options). John Grimshaw Dr John M. Grimshaw Garden Manager, Colesbourne Gardens Sycamore Cottage Colesbourne Nr Cheltenham Gloucestershire GL53 9NP Website: http://www.colesbournegardens.org.uk/ -----