Massonia depressa

Massonia depressa is a winter growing geophyte producing a white or yellow-green winter or spring flower. The flower appears at ground level between the two prostrate leaves.

The leaves may be spotted with irregular purplish markings as in the photo or uniformly green, smooth, glossy and large, about 15 cm long and 12 cm wide.

The species occurs in Namaqualand, the Great and Little Karoo into the Eastern Cape, the Free State and along parts of the south coast, notably the De Hoop Nature Reserve.

The habitat is clay and other soil types, often among shrubs that serve to provide some shelter in mixed veld. The plant is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Manning, 2007; http://redlist.sanbi.org).