Albuca spiralis

Albuca spiralis, sometimes called the curly tamarak, in Afrikaans krulle (curls), the varkstertjie (little pig’s tail), or kamiemie (origin and meaning unknown), and previously scientifically as Ornithogalum circinatum, is a bulbous perennial. The flower stem reaches heights ranging from 20 cm to 40 cm. The scales of the small, ovoid bulb clasp but do not split or become fibrous.

The species is distributed in the southwestern parts of the country, the Northern Cape and the Western Cape from central Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula, and eastwards to the Little Karoo. The photo was taken next to the road from Springbok to Steinkopf during August.

A. spiralis grows in loamy or sandy soils in variable scrub-veld vegetations. The plant is winter growing, the rainy season, the blooming happening shortly after. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Cowling, et al, 1999; Eliovson, 1990; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).