Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: empress of Brazil, Worsleya

Family: Amaryllidaceae (Amaryllis)

Synonym: Amaryllis procera, Amaryllis reyneri, Hippeastrum procerum, Worsleya rayneri

Distribution: Brazil

IUCN Red list: Critically endangered

Comments: Worsleya procera (syn. W. rayneri) is one of the rarest and most sought after bulbs in the world. It is native to Brazil where it grows on steep granite cliffs exposed to wind, rain and sun, constantly wet by mist from waterfalls. It produces huge clusters of spectacular lilac-blue flowers, speckled mauve within in mid-summer, on stems up to 1.5 meters tall. Plants are not truly self-fertile with seedlings from self pollination dying early.
This plant probably came into the Botanical Garden's collection well before the Second World War and has flourished ever since, and we have subsequently sourced other seed grown material with the hope of producing fertile offspring in future.