Haemanthus species M-Z are found on this wiki page.
Haemanthus index – Haemanthus A-C – Haemanthus D-L
Haemanthus montanus is found in grassland and seasonal wetlands in the eastern region of South Africa. It grows in small areas of poorly drained shallow soil with an impervious substratum. It completes its annual cycle in four to five months, the period during which its fairly hostile habitat remains moist. It occurs in dense stands with large cream flowers appearing from December to January (mid summer), rapidly followed by two upright leaves. The seed ripens by mid-February and germinates rapidly around the parent plants. The leaves dry off and blow away by the end of May when all signs of the bulb population have vanished. Photos by Cameron McMaster of two wild populations and one taken by Liz Waterman August 2004 at the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley, California. The last photograph is of eight-week-old seedlings from McMaster seeds sown in early 2009 by Byron Amerson.
Photos below from Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller of a population in flower in the Eastern Cape January 2010 showing different stages of growth all on the same day.
Haemanthus namaquensis is a rare species from Namaqualand, South Africa. The leaves are hard, waxy and blue-green. The form pictured here is from near Steinkopf. It's one of my favourite Haemanthus species. Photos by Jacob Knecht.
Haemanthus nortieri is a rare species that produces just one single, sticky, erect paddle-shaped leaf each winter. The third macro shot illustrates this sticky quality. We were very excited to have this bloom for the first time in the summer of 2007. Photos 1-3 by Jacob Knecht. The last photo is a habitat photo of plants in seed from Rachel Saunders.
Haemanthus pauculifolius has only one leaf, but since it is evergreen and the leaf persists it may exhibit two. Similar to H. albiflos, this species also produces photosynthetic bulbs that often position themselves to grow in an elevated fashion atop the surface of the medium in which they grow. It is a newly described (1993) summer rainfall species. Photo #1 by Cameron McMasterand 2-3 by Mary Sue Ittner showing the inflorescence. Photo 4 by Nhu Nguyen showing a seedling bulb. Upon germination each seed will produce a small bulb first instead of leaves. These primary bulbs slowly produce only one or two tiny leaves which persist through the first year. Photos 5,6 by Jacob Knecht showing a Hawai'i-grown specimen in a 10cm pot that began as 2 (clonal) bulbs and increased to 13 bulbs within 5 years. Jacob found that this species grew very well vegetatively in Honolulu but failed to flower. Lack of sufficiently cool temperatures in winter are suspected for the lack of blooms.
Haemanthus pubescens is found on the sandy coastal plain from southern Namibia to Cape Town. In habitat it flowers March to April, occasionally earlier and is in leaf from March to October. It has 4 to 5 large fleshy spathe valves which surround the bright red or sometimes pink flowers. There are three subspecies.
Haemanthus pubescens ssp. arenicolus is distinguished from the others by having soft pubescens on the undersides (abaxial) of the leaves, sometimes glabrous. The leaves are channeled and recurved. The small populations of several individuals each are found in the coastal plains of southern Namibia and Namaqualand on wind-blown sandy soil. It usually blooms a bit earlier than some of the other subspecies. Bulbs are laterally compressed and form clumps. Since the basal disc persists the bulbs are usually elongated and often have an extended root zone. Photo of the leaves taken by Alan Horstmann. Two more photos by Jacob Knecht. The latter shows light hairs on the leaf margin.
Haemanthus pubescens spp. leipoldtii is distinguished from the others by having no hairs on either the upper or undersides of the leaves. If hairs are present, they are only found on the leaf margins. Leaves are prostrate and planar. Bulbs are mostly solitary and are laterally compressed. It is known only from a small area of Namaqualand north of the Olifants river where windblown sand accumulates. Flowers have spathe valves that are the largest in the genus. Photos were taken by Nhu Nguyen. Photo #1 shows the upper surface of the leaves, whereas #2 shows the underside of the leaf with speckles. Photo #3 shows the bulb.
Haemanthus pubescens spp. pubescens is distinguished from the others by having dense pubescens on the upper (adaxial) side of the leaves. It occurs in loose sandy soil of the strandveld and coastal fynbos of the Western Cape. Bulblets form much more readily than the other two subspecies.
Haemanthus pumilio has a small umbel of white flowers, and zebra-striped leaves. It is endangered, growing in only a few seasonally wet sites, the largest colony being at the Duthie Reserve at the University of Stellenbosch. The plants are stimulated to bloom by fire, and need surrounding grass to be cleared away in order to avoid predation by insects and rodents. There is an article on the species here.
Haemanthus sanguineus has a wide distribution and is found in seasonally moist habitats on mountains and coastal flats, mainly in winter rainfall areas. It has two leaves pressed to the ground that are dry at flowering and red to pink flowers on a somewhat compressed compact umbel. Although the flowers resemble Haemanthus coccineus, the leaves are tough and leathery, rounder in shape with a distinct reddish margin and always flat on the ground. There are no markings on the underside of the leaves. This plant flowers late summer to fall (January to April). It is in leaf from April until November. Photos by Cameron McMaster.
These photos by Cameron McMaster were taken in Napier in the Overberg. The first shows a bud appearing between the dried leaves in January. The second taken in August shows the very flat on the ground leaves. The last shows a group flowering after a fire.
While not able to match the photos above, I had to enter this one which is the first time that it has bloomed for me here is So. California. Photo by Doug Westfall
Haemanthus sp. nova ex. Aus is possibly a new species from the region near Aus, Namibia. The leaves are a very bright green, uprightly arching, thick, and shiny with a recurving leaf margin. No markings are present on the leaf undersides. The leaves in the picture were photographed at only under half of the length they grow to each winter. It might eventually be determined to be an H. coccineus, but more study is necessary. Photos by Jacob Knecht.
Haemanthus sp. nova ex. Huib Plateau is most likely a new species from the Huib Plateau in Namibia. Its miniature stature, light leaf colour, and thin leaves combined with its markings and hirsute margins make it very unique. The brown leaves surrounding it are on average 6cm in length. Photo by Jacob Knecht.
Haemanthus sp. nova ex. Lüderitz is most likely a new species from the area of Lüderitz, Namibia. Its ovate, glaucous appressed leaves make it unique. Additionally its inflorescence is somewhat diminutive and thin. Photos by Jacob Knecht.
Haemanthus sp. nova ex. Namuskluft is very likely to be a new species. It is from the area of Namuskluft, Namibia. It's a miniature species (see finger for scale) with thick appressed leaves that are very densely hirsute. The markings on the leaf undersides, in combination with the aforementioned foliar attributes make this unique. Photos by Jacob Knecht.
Haemanthus spp. The plants below appear to be a miniature Haemanthus, H. humilis, but were received by Doug Westfall as Haemanthus carneus. Photos by Doug Westfall.
Leaves of this species were seen by Roy Herold in the hills above Muizenburg, south of Cape Town, in October 2002. Plant identity not confirmed but we suspect it is Haemanthus sanguineus.
Alessandro Marinello has added pictures of the leaves of a bulb he purchased from a nursery in the USA that has yet to be indentified.
Haemanthus tristis is a rare species known only from a population in the southeast Tanqua Karoo where it grows in shaley soil in seasonal washes. It flowers in March and is in leaf from April to October. It has two recurved leaves that appear after the inflorescence and white flowers that look cream when young and fade to pink. Photo by Alan Horstmann.
Haemanthus unifoliatus, found in Cape Province, Namaqualand. It is a solitary bulb and produces a solitary, stiff leaf (just as does H. nortieri). The light scarlet flower is striking, appearing well before the leaf. Photo by Doug Westfall. Kosies form, leaf photo by Jacob Knecht.
Haemanthus index – Haemanthus A-C – Haemanthus D-L