Proteas in the Park

Last weekend I went to Golden Gate Park's San Francisco Botanical Garden twice. The second time I paused in the South Africa section to take some pictures of the beautiful Proteas, blooming through the cold.

Protea repens

The Protea family has members in South Africa, Oceania and South America many with large showy, complicated inflorescences. What appears to be a single flower is actually a collection of spiky or feathery petal-like bracts surrounding a dense cluster of true flowers.

Protea neriifolia 'Pink Mink'

Protea neriifolia 'White Mink'

Protea cynaroides, the King Protea, is the floral emblem of the Republic of South Africa.

Protea cynaroides

Leucodendron, or cone-bush, is another member of the Proteaceae from South Africa.

Leucodendron 'Safari Sunset'

Leucodendron 'Safari Sunset' bush

Holiday Hippeastrum

In the United States large-flowered bulbs commonly called Amaryllis are traditionally forced as winter decoration. Most of these plants are actually of the genus Hippeastrum.

Red Hippeastrum Flower

This year I bought three bulbs, two of which are now providing lovely holiday color. Hopefully they'll survive to bloom next Christmas as well.

Hippeastrum inflorescence 

Closely related, but blooming outdoors this month, are the flowers of the lovely pink Nerine bowdenii. These ones are in the Strybing Arboretum in Golden Gate Park

Nerine bowdenii