Clivia mirabilis
Pronounciation: mi-RAH-bil-lis
Common Name: Bush Lily, Bos Lelie
Distribution: Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve near Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa

"This name, which means astonishing or miraculous, was chosen to reflect our amazement at the apparently endless suprises nature still has in store for us in this part of South Africa," Dr Rourke.

General

This is a newly discovered species of Clivia, it was discriberd as recently as 2002, and this makes it the 6th Clivia species found to date. The plant was discovered by Wessel Pretorius of the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve.

Range and Habitat
C. mirabilis is found in the Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve near Nieuwoudtville, and in undisclosed locations South of Niewoudtville in the Northern Cape Province, South Africa. It grows on the sparcely wooded eastern slopes in the Oorlogskloof canyon. The climate is semi-arid Mediterranean with winter rainfall. It can be found growing in the arid humic sandstone scree. According to Hein Grebe these plants are found growing in a variety of places, some in the open, some along theriver, others partially sheltered by trees and many grow between the rocks.

 

 

 

Measurements
The stiff upright leaves are 600-1200 mm long and 30-50 mm wide and has a prominent pale whitish median stripe on the leaves. The leaf bases are strongly pigmented in purple-red. The leaf margins are smooth and it has a distinctive notch on the tip like nobilis. Flowering time is from October to mid- November (late Spring). It bears about 20 to 48 bicoloured flowers on a purple to carmine peduncle. The flowers are pendulous, orange-red with a green tip. The flower darkens as it matures, and after pollination the whole flower including the ovary is coloured dark orange red. When the flower withers the ovary and pedicels turn green. Later as the berries mature (4-7months) they turn red, and contain 2 to 4 seeds.