Haemanthus is a Southern African genus of flowering plants. Haemanthus pauculifolius is the most recently discovered species of Haemanthus. It has only one leaf, but since it is evergreen and the leaf persists it may exhibit two.
Haemanthus pauculifolius is closely related to H. albiflos and H. deformis, and like them is evergreen. It too has a white inflorescence, but it blooms later, October to December. The bulb grows up to 2 inches (50 mm) in diameter, sits high, nearly on the surface of the substrate. The bulb of albiflos normally is at least half buried in the soil. The leaves are 1 to 1.4 inches (25 - 35 mm) wide by 3 to 13 inches (70 - 325 mm) long and are covered with short hairs. There is one single leaf or sometimes two leaves, one of which would be from the previous season. Leaf pubescence may not be a reliable trait for distinguishing the two species. Leaf number and size are probably the most reliable traits for distinguishing albiflos from pauculifolius. Albiflos normally has two leaves produced at a time, and can have four leaves total if the previous season's growth persists after the new leaves develop.
