Ledebouria mokobulanensis

Ledebouria mokobulanensis is a low- and solitary-growing, bulbous perennial. The scaled, underground bulb is about 2 cm in diameter.

The species is range-restricted in a small part of Mpumalanga near the Long Tom Pass and towards Buffelskloof. The specific name, mokobulanensis, is derived from the Mokobolwane Mountains, the name of the Drakensberg in the area where the plants are found.

The habitat is short grassland and rocky spots on steep slopes at elevations above 2000 m. The species is considered vulnerable in habitat, although its population is still stable early in the twenty first century. The concerns are increasing forestry and mining operations and too frequent fires (Hankey and Edwards (2008): Ledebouria mokobulanensis, a new species from the high altitude grasslands of Mpumalanga. SA Journal of Botany 74(2), pp 214-217; iNaturalist; http://pza.sanbi.org; http://redlist.sanbi.org).