Drimia altissima

Drimia altissima, the tall white squill or jeukbol (itch bulb) in Afrikaans, is a bulbous perennial with a tall, white flower raceme on a sturdy flowering stem. It reaches about 1 m in height. The green tepal markings resemble those of Albuca. Flowers open for part of a day, usually in the morning only.

The bulb, most of it often above-ground and green, is large. It comprises many overlapping scales that add to the plants allure, when leaves or flowers are present or not.

The seasonal, deciduous leaves are broad, bright green, sword-shaped and angling outwards. They are nearly erect, until gravity deals with their tips. Leaves appear after the blooming season, which is spring, sometimes extending into early summer.

The plant is found across South Africa in all nine provinces and to central Africa.

In habitat it often forms small groups in open, sandy patches. The species is not considered to be threatened in its habitat early in the twenty first century.

The earlier generic name Urginea is said to be derived from an eponymous Algerian tribe. The genus is related and similar to Ornithogalum (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Germishuizen, 1982; Letty, 1962; www.zimbabweflora.co.zw; http://redlist.sanbi.org).