Satyrium parviflorum leaves

Two broad ovate stem-clasping leaves can be seen here at the base of the flower stem of Satyrium parviflorum. A different looking leaf with pointed tip can be seen a little higher up, tightly sheathing and clasping the green stem. The leaves are deciduous and will grow anew annually, together with the new seasons flower stem from the unbranched underground tuber in spring.

These plants grow on flats and grassy, rocky slopes in open or sheltered conditions. They are found in dry as well as moist grassland. In the Mossel Bay area the plants have been seen in mature fynbos. The plants have also been encountered as garden weeds and in sandy soil dune thicket (Liltved and Johnson, 2012; Germishuizen and Fabian, 1982; www.pacificbulbsociety.org).