Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Berglelie, Guernsewlelie, Rooinerina, Guernsey lily, Red nerine

Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis)

Distribution: Western Cape

Habitat: Rocky slopes

National red list: Least Concern

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: This Cape bulb is widespread over the Cape Floristic Region where it grows on steep slopes. It flowers especially well after fire. Legend has it that a box of Nerine sarniensis bulbs bound for the Netherlands from South Africa were washed ashore on the island of Guernsey after a shipwreck. The flower flourished there, and has been cultivated on the island for centuries. Nerine sarniensis has been the parent of many cultivated hybrid forms. In its natural environment it is still very common and is not currently considered to be a threatened species.