Albuca

Albuca is a genus of bulbous perennials in the Hyacinthaceae family. Varying in size, the plants are usually deciduous, rarely evergreen, some forming clumps. The mostly globose bulbs have layered tunics enveloping inner ones or overlapping imbricately, their tunic top ends membranous or fibrous.

There was a formal name change decision taken in 2016 by the APG (Angiosperm Phylogeny Group) IV, moving Hyacinthaceae entirely into Asparagaceae as the subfamily Scilloideae. This will probably cascade through the botanical literature in due course, meaning that Hyacinthaceae is officially no longer recognized as a separate family. Later South African books do not necessarily show this change yet, for reasons including that it is not legally binding and the people in the plants community are allowed to take their time in absorbing changes, bigger ones more slowly. And, of course, some recent decisions may be expected to be reversed or modified still, as all the evidence supporting them may not yet have fully percolated through the system.

Optional earlier classifications may thus be continued, preventing sudden changes from causing regional confusion among users. Allowing taxonomic conservatism to adapt, should be regarded as temporary, for in the end all recognized plant families should be monophyletic, meaning that they confirm descent from a most recent common ancestor and include all descendants. Formally given scientific plant names are continually brought up to date, in accordance with this principle. This website, mainly serving amateurs, usually follows the SANBI Red List Site in its timing of reflected changes.

One to many leaves grow with or after flowering. The leaf-shape is linear, cylindrical or strap-shaped, spirally twisted in a few species. Leaf bases are tubularly sheathed, the tips acute or tapering, the blades glabrous or hairy. These hairs are in some cases glandular.

Variable numbers of flowers grow in flat-topped or long and slender racemes on cylindrical, naked peduncles. The bract subtending each flower is lance-shaped, or oval and tapering to an acutely pointed tip.

The bisexual flower grows two whorls of three tepals each. The tepals are white or yellow with green or grey bands or keels down the centre. The oblong tepals are free and persistent. Outer tepals spread, inner ones remain together or spread, depending on the species. The inner tepals often have thickened, hooded or flap-like tips. Flowers may be erect, facing out horizontally, nodding or drooping. Pedicel length varies across species as does fragrance.

There are six stamens to a flower, the outer three sometimes sterile with deficient or no anthers. The filaments are cylindrical or winged, sometimes broad at the base. The superior ovary is three-locular and oblong to ellipsoid in shape, holding many ovules. The style on top is variously shaped.

The fruit is a three-angled, ovoid or globose capsule that opens per locule. The flat, semi-circular seeds are black and shiny.

There are about 80 Albuca species, 60 of which are found in southern Africa, while some occur as far away as the Arabian Peninsula. The habitat is grassland, thornveld or rocky outcrops, the plants often growing in sandy soils.  

A few species feature in horticulture, some in traditional medicine. The vernacular name of many species is slime lily, while some are still called tamarak, the name persisting from Khoi or San languages.

The plant in picture is Albuca fragrans photographed in the Biedouw Valley (Pooley, et al, 2025; Euston-Brown and Kruger, 2023; Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; http://redlist.sanbi.org).