Description
Rhodophiala bifida Liebig is raised from seed originally found in the Río Negro Department of Uruguay close to the town of Fray Bentos (of Corned Beef fame).
This stock is raised from one of the original four forms first introduced by Dr. Patricio O’Farrell, each from distinct geographical areas within the range of the species (granatiflora, Liebig, Pan de Azucar, Pipinas).
Hardy with superb umbels of bright red there is a slightly orange tone to the red. This was originally adjudged to have “slightly smaller, darker flowers” than the other forms. We find the flowers are funnel-shaped, orange,-red with the inside of the flower presenting the most intense colour, whilst the exterior is slightly grey-dusted. The petal tips each have a tiny, slightly fuzzy appendage on the outer three petals. The anthers are yellow and the flowers are borne on 20cm-30cm tall stems in September.
We do our best on these to send what we think are flowering sized bulbs but like many Amaryllidaceae, this can refuse to flower, after disturbance, in its first year after planting. Thus a slightly smaller and non-flowering sized bulb will grow and establish and then flower in the same year as a flowering-sized one which has sulked for a year.
