Cryptostephanus vansonii

Endemic to the Bvumba and southern Chimanimani Mountains on the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border, Cryptostephanus vansonii is an evergreen plant of the Amaryllidaceae family, related to Clivia. Unlike most bulbous members of this family, it forms not a true bulb but a thick, fleshy rhizome. It grows on the forest floor or as a lithophyte on rocks, in the shade of Afromontane forest. Flowers, originally described as purple but also found in white and pink forms in cultivation, appear from October to March. It needs shaded conditions, a well-drained yet moist substrate, and no pronounced dry dormancy.