Lachenalia mutabilis Sweet

Perennial herb from a bulb. Leaves 1, broadly linear, waxy blue, sometimes spotted. Inflorescence spike-like, to 45 cm. Flowers few to numerous, erect, tubular, to 12 mm long, upper flowers sterile. Outer tepals 3/4 the length of the inner, white, tinged blue basally, tipped dark brown; inner tepals yellow, tipped brown. Stamens shorter than the inner tepals. Spring.

Cape Province, South Africa

 

L. bachmannii Bak. Cape Province, South Africa is a perennial herb from a bulb. Leaves 2, linear, grass-like, sometimes spotted. Inflorescence spike-like, dense, to 25 cm. Flowers few to numerous, erect, bell-shaped, to 8 mm long; spring. Outer tepals slightly shorter, white swellings red; inner tepals white with red tips. Stamens as long as the inner tepals.

L. mediana Jacq. Cape Province, South Africa is a perennial herb from a bulb. Leaves 2, broadly linear, unspotted. Inflorescence racemose, to 40 cm. Flowers few to numerous, erect, oblong-bell-shaped, to 9 mm long; spring. Outer tepals slightly shorter, white, tinged blue basally, tipped green; white, tinged blue basally, tipped green. Stamens longer than the inner tepals.

Source: Conran, J. (2005). Lachenalia. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

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kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Asparagales
family       Asparagaceae
genus        Lachenalia Murray