Moraea lewisiae subsp. lewisiae

Moraea lewisiae subsp. lewisiae, in Afrikaans commonly known as volstruisuintjie (ostrich nutgrass), is a slender, deciduous perennial growing from a corm. The plant may reach heights from 20 cm to 90 cm.

The subspecies distribution is in the south of the Northern Cape, across much of the Western Cape to around Humansdorp in the Eastern Cape. The photo was taken in the Biedouw Valley.

The habitat is usually arid places among diverse vegetation, much on lower sandstone and clay slopes. The plants are often seen where the soil had been disturbed. The subspecies is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007; Manning and Goldblatt, 1997; iNaturalist; https://www.fernkloof.org.za; http://redlist.sanbi.org).