Satyrium ligulatum

Satyrium ligulatum, previously scientifically known as S. emarcidum, is a tuberous perennial growing an erect annual flower stem and some leaves. The plant grows in winter, flowers in spring. The stem does not branch and has leaves along its length, reducing in size quickly after the first few bigger ones at the base. Upper leaves grade into small, pointed bracts below the buds, the upper parts becoming reflexed when the flowers open. S. emarcidum still also exists the two species now separated genetically.

The species distribution is widespread in the southern parts of South Africa, the Western Cape, the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, as well as Lesotho.

While this plant was encountered in the Drakensberg montane grasses, one also finds them for instance in the Gifberg of the Western Cape among arid fynbos, the Karoo scrub and the Free State grasslands. The habitat population is deemed of least concern early in the twenty first century (iNaturalist; iSpot; JSTOR; www.pacificbulbsociety.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).