Lapeirousia pyramidalis subsp. pyramidalis thin leaves

The leaves of Lapeirousia pyramidalis subsp. pyramidalis vary much in length and width. On plants bearing the widest leaves they tend to be shorter. On the opposite, long-leaved plants, the leaves are usually narrow, sometimes down to thread‑like.

The species grows basal leaves, mostly from 2 mm to 6 mm wide, different from the progressively shorter and wider bracts up the flower stems. The narrow leaf form may be up to 16 cm long. In some arid regions, e.g. the Tanqua, the Bokkeveld and the Little Karoo, stressed plants produce even narrower leaves, sacrificing less to evaporation.

The small, nearly white-flowered plants in picture are from near Greyton. Their long leaves appear cylindrical, arching like green to brown wires far beyond the flowers (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Manning, 2007; Goldblatt, 1972, Systematics of the southern African genus Lapeirousia (Iridaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 59, 1-176; iNaturalist).