Brunsvigia bosmaniae

Brunsvigia bosmaniae, the fragrant candelabra, is a bulbous perennial, a deciduous winter-grower reaching heights from 20 cm to 35 cm when in flower. The almost spherical bulb is about 8 cm in diameter, sometimes with a neck of about 2 cm.

Four to eight oblong leaves grow flat on the ground, withered and gone by bloomtime. The leaves appear in midautumn, disappear in spring, the bulbs summer dormant.

The species distribution is a broad swathe in the west of the Western Cape from the Tygerberg to the Northern Cape, through Namaqualand to southwestern Namibia. The photo was taken near Nieuwoudtville.

The habitat is mainly fynbos, dunes and renosterveld on flats and slopes. The plants grow in doleritic clay, shale, limestone, sandy and granitic soils. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (Duncan, et al, 2016; Manning, 2007; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).