Geissorhiza erosa

Geissorhiza erosa, in Afrikaans known as the witsyblom (white silk flower) and earlier scientifically G. inflexa var. erosa, is a cormous perennial reaching heights from 12 cm to 35 cm.

Sword-shaped leaves and a flower stem grow annually from the perennial corm that has a woody coat. Flowering happens late in winter to after midspring.

The species distribution is in the far southwest of the Western Cape from Stellenbosch to Tulbagh and Botrivier.

The plants are found on moist clay slopes and flats in renosterveld and fynbos. The species is considered to be endangered in its habitat early in the twenty first century, due to farming and housing development (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iSpot; www.redlist.sanbi.org).