Dierama reynoldsii in mountain grass

Dierama reynoldsii grows in Drakensberg grassland, here among rocks. The plants are usually solitary, but a group of corms have formed, making the flowering more abundant.

The arched floral spikes deal with wind and rain in summer. In a few months all the visible plant parts will vanish. The deciduous geophyte survives the very cold winter on the mountain in cormous form, protected underground for another floral performance next summer (Pooley, 1998; http://pza.sanbi.org).