Kniphofia

Kniphofia
Kniphofia uvaria
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asphodelaceae
Subfamily: Asphodeloideae
Genus: Kniphofia
Moench
Synonyms
  • Notosceptrum Benth.
  • Rudolpho-roemeria Steud. ex Hochst.
  • Triclissa Salisb.
  • Triocles Salisb.
  • Tritoma Ker Gawl.
  • Tritomanthe Link
  • Tritomium Link

Kniphofia (/nɪpˈhoʊfiə/, /nɪˈfoʊfiə/, /nɪfˈoʊfiə/) is a genus of perennial flowering plants in the family Asphodelaceae, first described as a genus in 1794. All species of Kniphofia are native to Africa. Common names include tritoma, red hot poker, torch lily and poker plant.

Description

The genus has herbaceous and evergreen species. The herbaceous species and hybrids have narrow, grass-like leaves 10–100 cm (4–39 in) long, while evergreen species have broader, strap-shaped foliage up to 1.5 m (5 ft) long. All plants produce spikes of upright, brightly coloured flowers well above the foliage, in shades of red, orange and yellow, often bicoloured. The flowers produce copious nectar while blooming and are attractive to bees and nectar-feeding birds such as sugarbirds and sunbirds. The Ethiopian wolf (Canis simensis) has been observed to feed on the nectar produced by Kniphofia foliosa with the researchers claiming it is only large carnivore known to eat nectar, suggesting it may aid the plant's pollination. In the New World, their flowers may attract nectarivores such as hummingbirds and New World orioles.[citation needed]

Taxonomy

The genus Kniphofia was first erected by Conrad Moench in 1794. Moench considered the species he was describing (now Kniphofia uvaria) sufficiently different from Carl Linnaeus's genus Aletris and from Veltheimia to warrant a new genus. The name honours Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, an 18th-century German physician and botanist.

Species

As of February 2025, Plants of the World Online accepted 73 species, including two hybrids.

Cultivation

Several species of Kniphofia are cultivated as garden plants, valued for their architectural properties. These include K. galpini, K. northiae, K. rooperi and K. thomsonii.

In addition to the species, many named cultivars of mixed or uncertain parentage have been selected for garden use. The following have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:

  • 'Barton Fever' (orange-white, 100 cm)
  • 'Bees' Sunset' (yellow, 90 cm)
  • 'Brimstone' (sulphur yellow, 90 cm)
  • 'Buttercup' (clear yellow, 75 cm)
  • 'Coral Flame' (coral red, 90 cm)
  • 'Fiery Fred' (orange, 130 cm)
  • 'Incandesce' (orange, 140 cm)
  • 'Innocence' (red-yellow, 110 cm)
  • 'Jonathan' (red-orange, 130 cm)
  • 'Moonstone' (yellow, 120 cm)
  • 'Nobilis' (evergreen, orange and yellow, 150 cm+)
  • 'Penny Rockets' (orange, 100 cm)
  • 'Primrose Upward' (yellow, 115 cm)
  • 'Rich Echoes' (orange-yellow, 120 cm)
  • 'Royal Standard' (red and yellow, 90 cm)
  • 'Safranvogel' (peach pink, 80 cm)
  • 'Samuel's Sensation' (red-yellow, 150 cm)
  • 'Sunningdale Yellow' (orange and yellow, 60 cm)
  • 'Tawny King' (cream/brown, 120 cm)
  • 'Timothy' (orange, 100 cm)
  • 'Toffee Nosed' (cream/brown, 100 cm)
  • 'Wrexham Buttercup' (yellow, 120 cm)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Kniphofia Moench". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  2. ↑ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  3. ↑ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Harlow: Pearson Education. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  4. ↑ Coombes, Allen J. (1994). Dictionary of Plant Names. London: Hamlyn Books. ISBN 978-0-600-58187-1.
  5. ↑ Johnson, A.T. & Smith, H.A. (1972). Plant Names Simplified : Their Pronunciation Derivation & Meaning. Buckenhill, Herefordshire: Landsmans Bookshop. ISBN 978-0-900513-04-6.
  6. ↑ Stevens, P.F., Angiosperm Phylogeny Website: Asparagales: Asphodeloideae
  7. ↑ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
  8. ↑ "Kniphofia species | PlantZAfrica". pza.sanbi.org. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  9. ↑ Lai, Sandra; Léandri‐Breton, Don‐Jean; Lesaffre, Adrien; Samune, Abdi; Marino, Jorgelina; Sillero‐Zubiri, Claudio (2024). "Canids as pollinators? Nectar foraging by Ethiopian wolves may contribute to the pollination of Kniphofia foliosa". Ecology. 105 (12). doi:10.1002/ecy.4470. ISSN 0012-9658. PMC 11610677. PMID 39561987.
  10. ↑ Sánchez Sánchez, Monserrat; Lara, Carlos (2024-02-21). "Exotic and native plants play equally important roles in supporting and structuring plant-hummingbird networks within urban green spaces". PeerJ. 12: e16996. doi:10.7717/peerj.16996. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC 10893870. PMID 38406283.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  11. ↑ "Kniphofia Moench". International Plant Names Index (IPNI). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew; Harvard University Herbaria & Libraries; Australian National Botanic Gardens. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  12. ↑ Moench, Carl (1794). "Kniphofia". Methodus Plantas Horti Botanici et Agri Marburgensis (in Latin). Marburgh. pp. 631–632. Retrieved 2025-02-21.
  13. ↑ Johnson, A.T. & Smith, H.A. (1972). Plant Names Simplified : Their Pronunciation Derivation & Meaning. Buckenhill, Herefordshire: Landsmans Bookshop. ISBN 978-0-900513-04-6. p. 59.
  14. ↑ "Kniphofia reflexa". Redlist.org. Retrieved 2012-05-13.
  15. ↑ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 57. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  16. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Barton Fever'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  17. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Bees' Sunset'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  18. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Brimstone'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  19. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Buttercup'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  20. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Coral Flame'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  21. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Fiery Fred'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  22. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Incandesce'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  23. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Innocence'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  24. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Jonathan'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  25. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Moonstone'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  26. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Nobilis'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  27. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Penny Rockets'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  28. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Primrose Upward'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  29. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Rich Echoes'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  30. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Royal Standard'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  31. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Safranvogel'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  32. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Samuel's Sensation'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  33. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Sunningdale Yellow'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  34. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Tawny King'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  35. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Timothy'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  36. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Toffee Nosed'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  37. ↑ "Kniphofia 'Wrexham Buttercup'". RHS. Retrieved 27 September 2020.