Hessea is a genus in the Amaryllidaceae family from Southern Africa. It has 13 species, with 8 from the Cape region. The rootstock is a bulb and plants have two or three leaves and flower in the fall before the leaves appear or with the leaves emerging with the flowers. Flowers are small, star to funnel shaped, formed in an umbel and usually pink or white, sometimes with dark central markings. In the wild they can be found in large colonies. This genus is very similar to Strumaria and some people find them difficult to distinguish. Grown from seed they bloom from the third season on. More information can be found in Snijiman, 1994, described in References.
Hessea cinnamomea is found in peaty lowlands in the southwest Cape where it flowers after fires. It has glistening white to pink flowers with a wine red center and smells of spice. Photo by Cameron McMaster taken in the Overberg.
Hessea mathewsii grows to 19 cm tall. It has two to three leaves emerging with the flowers or dry at flowering. It has star shaped white to pink flowers with a deep pink to crimson center. This species grows on limestone flats in the southwest Cape. Flowering for the first time from seed in November 2008, the flowers were very tiny. Photos by Mary Sue Ittnerof the bud, flowers, stem.
Hessea pilosula grows in deep coarse sand in the Springbok area of Namaqualand and in deep red sand along the northwest coast. It has pale pink flowers with a white or deeper pink center. Photo by Alan Horstmann.
