Melianthus major, the giant honey flower or kruidjie-roer-my-nie (Afrikaans for 'herb-touch-me-not'), is a species of flowering plant in the family Francoaceae. It is an evergreen suckering shrub, endemic to South Africa and naturalised in India, Australia and New Zealand.[1][2] It grows to 2–3 m (7–10 ft) tall by 1–3 m (3–10 ft) wide, with pinnate blue-green leaves 30–50 cm (12–20 in) long, which have a distinctive musky odour. Dark red, nectar-laden flower spikes, 30–80 cm (12–31 in) in length, appear in spring, followed by green pods.[1][3] All parts of the plants are poisonous.[2]
| Melianthus major | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Geraniales |
| Family: | Francoaceae |
| Genus: | Melianthus |
| Species: | M. major
|
| Binomial name | |
| Melianthus major | |
The Latin binomial Melianthus major literally means "large honey flower".[4] The plant is also sometimes called honeybush (along with many other plants).
In cultivation this plant requires a sheltered location and may also need a protective winter mulch in temperate regions. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[5][6]
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Sunbird (Cinnyris chalybeus) on honey flower -
Leaf -
Leaves
_female_or_juvenile_on_Honey_Flower_(Melianthus_major)_(32957097545).jpg)
See also
edit- Melianthus comosus, the honey flower
References
edit- ^ a b "Melianthus major". PlantZAfrica.com. South African National Biodiversity Institute. Retrieved 2023-02-26.
- ^ a b Blood, Kate. (2001). Environmental weeds: a field guide for SE Australia. Melbourne, Australia: Bloomings Books. ISBN 0957908601.
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. p. 1136. ISBN 978-1405332965.
- ^ Coombes, Allen J. (2012). The A to Z of plant names. USA: Timber Press. pp. 312. ISBN 9781604691962.
- ^ "RHS Plant Selector - Melianthus major". Retrieved 3 January 2021.
- ^ "AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 64. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
Media related to Melianthus major at Wikimedia Commons
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