Ornithogalum xanthochlorum dying leaves

This plant with annual leaves dying as its robust scape elongates, is thought to be Ornithogalum xanthochlorum. It was found in the Ceres Karoo in sandy soil during September.

The strap-shaped leaves are round-tipped and glossy with faint longitudinal lines along their surfaces.

The plant is commonly known in Afrikaans as the slangkop (snake head), descriptive of the early stage of the inflorescence (Manning, 2009; iSpot).