Drimia platyphylla Syn. Rhadamanthus platyphyllus - Indigenous South African Perennial Bulb Seeds

Drimia platyphylla Seeds

South African Indigenous Perennial Bulb

Drimia is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family (or expanded Asparagaceae family) of bulbous plants that are deciduous or rarely evergreen. Bulbs can be small or large, subterranean or growing on or close to the ground. The one or more leaves are often dry at flowering. In 2004 a number of genera were included in this genus once separated as other genera. Some of these genera were formerly monotypic with species formerly included in other genera, like Ledurgia, Boosia, Geschollia and a couple had two species, like Ebertia and Rhadamanthopsis. Others with more species that were included were Urginavia, Indurgia and Thuranthos. They included the Mediterranean, North African and western Asiatic species formerly in Urginea in Drimia but not everyone agrees. African genera once separated as Litanthus, Rhadamanthus, Schizobasis and Tenicroa are now included in Drimia. These plants are common in seasonally dry or semi-arid regions and many of them flower in late spring or summer regardless of the rainfall pattern. Drimia platyphylla, synonymously known as Rhadamanthus platyphyllus, is a South African indigenous species. It is a bulb which comes from Namaqualand, the Richtersveld, parts of the Little Karoo, and Caledon, near the south coast. The leaves are greyish blue, with tiny, almost indistinct flowers. The plant is a winter grower, dropping its leaves and then produces flowers in early summer a few weeks after the leave have dropped.