Eucomis bicolor

Eucomis bicolor, commonly the bicoloured pineapple lily or forest pineapple flower and in Afrikaans the bontpynappelblom (variegated or multicoloured pineapple flower), is a bulbous perennial that forms clumps and reaches heights in flower around 1 m.

It is the crown of pointed, leafy bracts at the top of the flowers that associates Eucomis with pineapples. In E. bicolor the crown bracts usually has purple, finely serrated margins. The upper flowers display their tapering, purple filaments topped with tiny yellow anthers as a secondary star within that formed by the six purple-margined tepals. The green, ovoid ovary in the flower centre has a short style. The flowers lower down are nodding, showing just the outer surfaces of the tepals, the small sepals and the pedicels, all cream coloured but may also be greenish or mauve. Scattered purple spots can be seen on the green scape below.

The species distribution is in KwaZulu-Natal and the eastern Free State, as well as in Lesotho. This raceme of flowers in their prime was seen in the Mkhomazi Wilderness Area of the KwaZulu-Natal Drakensberg during January.

The plant grows in Drakensberg grassland and forests, on cliffs and in rocky places where it is usually damp. The habitat population is deemed near threatened early in the twenty first century, due to collection of the bulbs for the traditional medicine trade, used for the treatment of colic.

The plant is valued in horticulture (Manning, 2009; Pooley, 1998; iNaturalist; iSpot; http://redlist.sanbi.org).