Eriospermum paradoxum

Eriospermum paradoxum is a deciduous geophyte with an oblong, irregularly shaped, fleshy tuber. Above ground it grows one small leaf, 7 mm in length with a feathery green appendage upon the leaf blade.

The distribution is large, extending from the Northern Cape Namaqualand southeastwards to the Western Cape Karoo, the Little Karoo and the Eastern Cape as far as Grahamstown. This plant was photographed in Namaqualand, northwest of Nababeep during April.

The habitat is varied scrub and renosterveld in sandy and clayey soils. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2010; Smith, et al, 1997; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; http://redlist.sanbi.org).