Moraea fugax

Moraea fugax, commonly called soetuintjie (sweet little nutgrass or nutsedge) or wituintjie (white little nutgrass) in Afrikaans, is a deciduous perennial reaching heights from 12 cm to 80 cm. Two subspecies used to be recognised, but not any longer.

The species distribution is in the Northern Cape from Namaqualand to the Western Cape as far as the Cape Peninsula and Swellendam. The picture was taken at Onrus near Hermanus during October.

The habitat is deep sandy soils on sandstone and granitic flats, often among fynbos. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century.

This was an important food plant of indigenous populations long ago. Those that may still harvest the corms will bundle and boil them in milk or roast them in hot ash, in accordance with ancient recipes. The taste resembles potato or chestnut. 

Gardeners plant soetuintjies in well-drained soil and where they receive full sun. They tolerate only mild cold. The corms should be dry in dormancy and planted about 12 cm deep (Manning, 2007; Le Roux, et al, 2005; Van Wyk and Gericke, 2000; www.pacificbulbsociety.org; https://tropical.theferns.info; http://redlist.sanbi.org).