Phil Bendle Collection:Wachendorfia thyrsiflora (Red root)

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Clade: Commelinids
Order: Commelinales
Family: Haemodoraceae
Subfamily: Haemodoroideae
Genus: Wachendorfia
Species: W. thyrsiflora
Binominal name: Wachendorfia thyrsiflora
Common names: Red root, Blood root, Bloodroot, Marsh butterfly lily,

Wachendorfia thyrsiflora is in a genus of cormous perennials endemic to Cape Province in South Africa where it grows only in permanent marshes, seepages and streams from 5 to 1200 m above sea level.
Wachendorfia thyrsiflora is a tall, evergreen, perennial plant with underground buds. The rootstock is a branched, fleshy rhizome with clusters of thin adventitious roots at the nodes. The rhizome is a distinctive red colour, containing a red fluid rich in arylphenalenone pigments which are used as a dye. 
The plant has basal tufts of long, narrow, hairless, firm, entire, very distinctive longitudinally pleated leaf blades up to 1 m long.
The inflorescence is a dense cylindrical panicle of bright golden-yellow, starry flowers on a tall sturdy stalk. Flowers are produced from October - February. The flower stalks can reach up to 2.5 m in height.

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The distinctive longitudinally pleated leaf blades.
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Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/ 

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