Kniphofia Moench.

	Kniphofia uvaria 'Nobilis' Photo: © David Fenwick, The African Garden, UK

red hot poker

red hot poker, torch lily, poker plant

Most commonly cultivated

Kniphofia uvaria (L.) Oken

Other species

K. caulescens Bak. ex Hook. f.

K. linearifolia Bak.

K. multiflora J.M. Wood & M. Evans

K. praecox Baker²

and complex hybrids and cultivars based on these species, some referred to as K. xhybrida.

Southern and tropical Africa.

Leafless stems terminating in long, spike-like racemes of flowers on short pedicels; each flower subtended by small, narrow, scarious bract; unopened flowers often horizontal or erect at apex of raceme grading to opened, pendent flowers at base; narrowly tubular perianth of 6 tepals, with lobes much shorter than tube, in 2 whorls of 3; stamens 6, with outer 3 shorter; style exserted.

Racemes to 40 cm long, cylindrical and narrowing toward apex, or ellipsoid, with flowers commonly yellow to red and newer hybrids in shades of pink, orange, cream, and green; racemes often bicolored, because flowers sometimes change color as they mature; stamens barely exserted to long-exserted.

South Africa.