Hesperantha coccinea

Family / Families: Iridaceae
Scientific Name(s): Hesperantha coccinea (Backh. & Harv.) Goldblatt & J.C. Manning
Institution(s): Entrance Plantings, University of British Columbia Botanical Garden
Accession Number(s): 2005-0272
Location(s): Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Entry Author(s): Daniel Mosquin
Copyright Holder(s): Daniel Mosquin
Image License: Creative Commons License
Tags: Asparagales, Iridaceae, Photo by Daniel, UBC Botanical Garden

A planting of Hesperantha coccinea

A shot of colour today from two months ago.

Names galore for this species. The long-standing scientific name Schizostylis coccinea has been dropped by many in favour of Hesperantha coccinea. Eric La Fountaine cites the relevant papers here.

The common name is also the subject of some disagreement. The South African National Biodiversity Institute uses river lily. Similarly, the Pacific Bulb Society prefers scarlet river lily. On the other hand, Wikipedia notes Kaffir lily as a common name; personally, I’d avoid this, now that I’ve learned how kaffir is an racial slur.