The attached image was taken in a dense woodland near Rio de Janeiro, at about 30 m above sea level. Griffinia hyacinthina is a warmth loving species that grows in deep shade in humus rich soil.

Dennis Tsang (2 June 2002)

Synonym: This species was also known as Griffinia dryades, Amaryllis hyacinthina, and Lycoris hyacinthina.
Origin: Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Forest) in the States of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in south-eastern Brasil.
Habitat: From coastal woodland to cool Atlantic forests up to about 1200 m altitude, in deep shade, humid forest floor usually thickly covered with organic matters. In the natural habitat, bulbs grow singly or in community of up to 10 bulbs. The picture shows the typical habitat in a coastal forest to the west of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The bulb grows on a thick cushion of humus on a big overhanging rock. This area enjoys cool sea breezes and the dense shade of forest further cools down the temperature. In the wild, G. hyacinthina is often found growing side-by-side with bromeliads.
Varieties/Forms: G. hyacinthina var maxima and G. hyacinthina var micrantha have been described.
Cultivation: G. hyacinthina is a cool forest plant which enjoys a shady, humid, cool and well ventilated environment. The ideal growing medium should be rich in organic materials. This species flowers from January to April/May its natural habitats. G. hyacinthina seems to be pest free and is rather easy to maintain in cultivation.
Further reading: Handbook of Amaryllidaceae, p.60, ÔBULBSÕ by John Bryan, p.197. For information of genus Griffinia: ÔGriffinia (Amaryllidaceae), A Critically Endangered Brazilian Geophyte with Horticultural PotentialÕ by Alan Meerow, Kevin Preuss and Fernando Tombolato.