Curtis Botanical – Plate 5374 – Yellow Cyrtanthus / Pale Ifafa Lily

Original antique black-and-white print from Curtis's Botanical Magazine — Plate 5374.

A South African bulb from the KwaZulu-Natal coast bearing graceful, drooping tubular flowers of soft yellow — lutescens means 'becoming yellow.' The genus Cyrtanthus means 'curved flower,' describing the elegant bend of the tubes. Many Cyrtanthus species bloom immediately after veldt fires, which trigger their dormant bulbs — they are adapted to depend on fire as a regenerative force.

South African (Zulu) heritage connection.

Uncolored plate. Condition consistent with age of volume. Each print is a unique piece of botanical history, printed on paper aged over a century.

This plate originated with the Royal Horticultural Society and passed through Wheldon & Wesley, one of the great natural history dealers of the 20th century. We came into the archive by accident and have spent the time since trying to share it as widely as we can.