Albuca nelsonii

Albuca nelsonii, commonly known as Nelson’s slime lily (that is unlikely to have ever been seen by Nelson) and in Zulu as umababaza, is a robust, bulbous perennial. It tends to form clumps and reaches about 1 m in height including the inflorescence. The top part of the fleshy bulb tends to protrude above-ground, covered in dry, papery tips of the bulb scales.

The leaves produced annually are strap-shaped, broad with upturned margins, and a little succulent in texture.

The species distribution in South Africa is coastal in the Eastern Cape, throughout KwaZulu-Natal and into the eastern parts of Mpumalanga and even Limpopo.

The habitat is rocky places in diverse grassland, sometimes benefiting from shade, but not needing much moisture. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2009; iNaturalist; iSpot; https://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).