Haemanthus coccineus Haemanthus coccineus Haemanthus coccineus, the blood flower, blood lily or paintbrush lily, is a species of flowering plant in the amaryllis family Amaryllidaceae, native to Southern Africa. Growing to tall and wide, it is a bulbous perennial with short brown stems surmounted by red flowers, the flowers appearing in spring and summer, before the strap-shaped leaves. The generic name "Haemanthus" is derived from the Greek words "haima" for blood and "anthos" for flower; "coccineus" is the Latin word for red or scarlet. In the Afrikaans language it is known as bergajuin, bloedblom, and many other vernacular names. "Haemanthus coccineus" is
Ornamental bulbous plant season. Such a climate occurs in Kenya, which has wet conditions in October to December and then again in February to May. Glory-lilies ("Gloriosa") and "Crinum" species are examples of bulbous plants adapted to these conditions. Tropical Asia has similarly adapted bulbous plants, such as species of "Hedychium" (gingers). Plants with fleshy underground parts were probably first used as food. Onions ("Allium cepa") were cultivated in Ancient Egypt. In South America, the potato ("Solanum tuberosum"), oca ("Oxalis tuberosa") and the sweet potato ("Ipomoea batatas") were cultivated for thousands of years. Other parts of bulbous plants were also used in cooking.