Lachenalia pallida

Lachenalia pallida, in Afrikaans commonly known as the bleekviooltjie (little pale violin), is a bulbous perennial that annually grows one or two lanceolate leaves that may become warty. The plant grows to heights from 12 cm to 30 cm.

The cream to yellow flowers are produced in an erect raceme on short pedicels. The flowers are cylindrical with brown or green corolla markings. Anthers are not exserted. Blooms appear in late winter to after midspring.

The plants are found in large colonies in the south-west of the Western Cape, coastally to Piketberg, Stellenbosch and to Clanwilliam where the photo was taken.

The habitat is flats and slopes of renosterveld and where coastal scrub grow in clayey soils. While there are still large stands of these flowers at the end of the rainy season, the population is declining though not yet considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century. The impacting factors are wheat farming, grazing by stock, urban development and quarrying (Manning, 2007; iSpot; www.redlist.sanbi.org).