Babiana namaquensis

Babiana namaquensis is a cormous perennial. The narrow, hairy leaves are pleated and curling back. If they didn’t curl, the leaves would easily exceed the flowers in height.

The species distribution is in the far northwest of the Northern Cape, coastally and inland in the Richtersveld and southwestern Namibia.

The plants grow exposed in arid sandy or stony places in dune veld and lowland desert, sometimes among dolomite outcrops. The species is considered to be vulnerable in its habitat early in the twenty first century, due to habitat loss and degradation from overgrazing and mining (Williamson, 2010; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).