Comparative flower morphology in Cyrtanthus elatus (Amaryllidaceae)

Genus Family Amaryllidaceae s.l. represented by a large number of ornamental plants, with large and bright flowers. Most members of this family grow in tropical and subtropical areas. The genus belongs to the family Amaryllidaceae J.St.-Hil., Subfamily Amaryllidoideae, tribe Cyrtantheae and has about 56 species (Chase et al. 2016). Details of the history, taxonomy, phylogeny, life cycle and cultivation features of Cyrtanthus taitii have been studied (Duncan 2018). New Zealand scientists tested for self-sterility in three Cyrtanthus species: C. contractus, C. ventricosus and C. mackenii by means of controlled hand‐pollination experiments. To determine the growth rates and frequency of ovule penetration using self-versus cross-pollen tubes, they used fluorescence microscopy to examine flowers collected at 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after pollination (Johnson et al. 2019).