Drimia anomala

Drimia anomala is commonly known as the rat-tail squill and previously scientifically as Geschollia anomala and Ornithogalum anomalum respectively in different botanical eras. It is a deciduous, bulbous perennial reaching 80 cm to 1 m in flower. Above-ground parts grow annually from a globose, greenish-topped bulb positioned just below ground level to partly exposed.

The plant bears one smooth, long and slender leaf, green and succulent, present during flowering. Plants with damaged leaves are often seen, possibly browsed, although drimias are often poisonous.

The inflorescence is a dense raceme of greenish yellow or purplish and white flowers. There is a small bract below every pedicel. The stalked flowers face outwards, the six recurving tepals fleshy with green or purple, longitudinal, central bands.

Six stamens with chunky yellow anthers surround the white style, thicker than the filaments and about as long or slightly longer, ending in a small stigma.

The species distribution is mainly in the east of the Western Cape and the west of the Eastern Cape with some plants in the south of the Northern Cape Karoo and limited presence of plants in KwaZulu-Natal. The photo was taken at Minwater near Oudtshoorn.

The habitat is diverse in karoid, fynbos and coastal conditions. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century (iNaturalist; https://www.pacificbulbsociety.org; https://lifestyleseeds.co.za; http://redlist.sanbi.org).