Amaryllis belladonna on a lawn

This stand of Amaryllis belladonna in flower was seen in the Jan Marais Nature Reserve at Stellenbosch during March. There are characteristically no leaves present during bloomtime in this (and many other) bulbous plant species.

The slender scapes or peduncles are grey-purple and naked, conforming with the plant’s common name of naked lady or responsible for it. The scape is 1,5 cm to 3 cm wide at the base, slightly laterally compressed.

The stems seen here are inclined towards sunlight, the trees near them not in picture (Duncan, et al, 2016).