Albuca is a genus of 60 to 70 species belonging to the Hyacinthaceae family, to be precise in the subfamily Ornithogaloideae. It is apparently most closely related to Ornithogalum subgenus Osmyne (alternatively treated as genus Coilonox). Some of the new taxonomy proposes including this genus in the Asparagaceae family however. In J. Manning, P. Goldblatt & M.F. Fay, "A revised generic synopsis of Hyacinthaceae in sub-Saharan Africa, including new combinations and the new tribe Pseudoprospereae", Edinburgh Journal of Botany 60(3): 533-568 (2004) the authors propose sinking Albuca along with Dipcadi, Galtonia, Neopatersonia, and Pseudogaltonia into Ornithogalum. Further work by researchers at SANBI, the Missouri Botanical Garden and Kew has not supported all of these changes and Albuca, Dipcadi, and Pseudogaltonia have been reinstated.
All Albuca species grow from bulbs, and most have a dormancy period after flowering whereby they lose their leaves. The flower scape is, like almost all Hyacinthaceae, unbranched. Most species only produce one scape per growing season, although some, such as Albuca flaccida and Albuca maxima, may produce two or more; the tropical African species may produce scape after scape after scape in optimal conditions. The majority of species are winter-growers, mainly originating from the south-west Cape and northwards into Namaqualand, South Africa. The genus also extends into tropical Africa and Arabia, where there are comparatively fewer species.
The most characteristic feature of the genus is the shape of the flower. The outer 3 tepals spread out like any normal flower, but the inner 3 stay more or less closed. The general appearance is therefore somewhat like a snowdrop Galanthus. The flowers do come in a limited color range, white and yellow through to green, but are usually embellished with a green stripe down the middle of each outer tepal. Some species also have the tips of the inner, closed tepals colored differently, either with white or bright yellow. Flowers are either presented in a nodding or drooping formation, or erect on firm pedicels (flower stalks). The tropical African species, on the other hand, have flowers on such short pedicels that the only position they can hold is sideways.
Although there is not a great diversity in the shape of the flowers, there is however a fascinating range of leaf form. Some species do admittedly have rather uninteresting foliage, others have such unusual leaves that they could be grown as a foliage plant in their own right. Leaves can be boat-shaped, coiled into corkscrew shapes, or narrow and wavy like a slithering snake.
Because most species rarely produce offsets, growing from seed is the best way to increase stocks, and is usually the only way to obtain most species. All species, however, are extremely easily raised from seed, sown at about the same time adult plants come into active growth. Fresh seed often germinate within a week of sowing, often with 100% germination. The seed is short lived however and probably needs to be started within six months for good germination. Seedlings usually flower in their third year.
Much of the above information and information about the species was furnished by Julian Slade in his Introduction to the Pacific Bulb Society topic of the week on Albuca in July 2003.
Albuca abyssinica is native to Southern and tropical Africa. Purchased from Tim Harvey under the name, Albuca angolensis which is a synonym. Photos from Monica Swartz.
Albuca acuminata These plants grown and photographed by Paul Tyerman were supposed to be Albuca flaccida but they have a white tip instead of a yellow one. This is the best guess for what they are. This species grows in a rather wide range of the Cape in deep sands and has nodding yellow to green flowers with green keels and flowers in the spring.
Albuca canadensis syn. Albuca maxima , syn. Albuca altissima, syn. Albuca major . Although this species has been known by many other names and has been called Albuca maxima in books published as recently as 2005, the accepted name by the Kew Checklist and confirmed by John Manning is now Albuca canadensis which is a name that used to be used for a yellow flowered species. Flowers on this species are white with a green stripe, nodding or drooping with somewhat succulent leaves that are rigid and deeply channeled. It is winter growing with a very short summer dormancy and flowers in late winter and spring. It grows to 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m). This species also produces copious seed, and has reportedly become naturalized in Italy. The first photo was taken by Paul Tyerman. The other photos are all habitat photos. The first of three taken by Mary Sue Ittner was taken in South Africa in August 2001 of one in bud growing in the rocks and the next two were taken near Nieuwoudtville in October 2006. The final two were taken by Bob Rutemoeller in Namaqualand October 2006.
Albuca flaccida Known for many years as Albuca canadensis which is now considered to be the correct name of another species, this species has yellowish green, nodding, flowers and is strongly and pleasantly perfumed. Flowering late winter and spring. Winter-growing, summer-dormant. This species produces copious seed which is easily dispersed by the wind, and has become naturalized in south-western Australia. The first photo taken by Bob Rutemoeller and the second two photos from Paul Tyerman
Albuca longipes grows in dry silty loam in karroid scrub from the Richtersveld to Biedouw Valley (mostly northwest Cape, winter rainfall areas.) It has white erect flowers with green keels. The hooded inner tepals have golden yellow tips. Fowrs are 20 to 25 mm across and plants grow to about 20 cm. The first photo was taken by Alan Horstmann. The second was taken in the Cederberg by Mary Sue Ittner October 2006. The last four photos were taken by Andrew Harvie.
Albuca massonii grows on sandstone slopes in the northwest Cape and flowers September to October. Plants are 20 to 30 cm high with two or three channeled slender leaves and nodding yellow to green flowers with green keels. Photos from Andrew Harvie.
Albuca namaquensis syn. Albuca circinata has yellow flowers with green stripes and tapering leaves. In dry conditions its leaves coil like Albuca spiralis. It grows on stony sandstone slopes from Namibia to the Eastern Cape. The photos below by Mary Sue Ittner show new leaves emerging after a dry period in summer September 2004 and the flowers. The third and fourth photos are from Jacob Knecht, who feels the flowers smell like Play-doh.
Albuca nelsonii is one of the larger species, and is quite common in the nursery trade these days. The first two photos below by Roy Herold are of a nice planting at Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardens in Cape Town, South Africa, in November, 2006. The next two photos were taken in habitat by Andrew Harvie.
Albuca setosa grows from 40 to 50 cm. It is found from Namaqualand, the southwestern Cape through the Karoo, Eastern Cape to Swaziland on rocky ground, flats, mountain slopes. Leaves are broad at the base, dark green, sometimes appearing after flowers. It has erect flowers on long pedicels, white with broad green to brownish central stripes with the inner tepals sometimes tipped yellow. This species blooms from August to January in habitat. First photo by Paul Tyerman. The second and third photo was taken by Nhu Nguyen at the UC Botanical Garden May 2008.
Photos below from Cameron McMaster and Mary Sue Ittner show this species growing in very dry areas of the Eastern Cape. The first two pictures show it blooming in January near Cradock and the last two pictures show the leaves and the remains of the seedpods.
Albuca shawii syn. Albuca trichophylla Flowers yellow and green, nodding. Leaves narrow, glandular, reputedly smelling of aniseed when crushed! Summer-growing/flowering, winter dormant. Photos from Paul Tyerman
Albuca spiralis has flowers that are green with pale yellow margins, nodding, sweetly scented, reportedly of butter and vanilla! Leaves narrow and glandular, wavy like a snake to spirally twisted. Flowering late winter to mid-spring. Winter-growing, summer-dormant. The first photo was taken in habitat by Andrew Harvie. Photos two, three, and four were taken by Susan Hayek of plants grown by Diana Chapman. The fifth photo from Jacob Knecht shows how sand sticks to the tightly-coiled leaves.The last shows 3 months old seedlings (seeds from 2007 PBS Seed Sale) grown by Nhu Nguyen.
Just to show the great differences in plants when grown from seed, these plants grown and photographed by Mary Sue Ittner do not always have the dramatic coiling found in the wild and in the pictures above and the flowers are more greenish-yellow.
Albuca sp. Unidentified yellow flowered species seen near Middelpos in the Roggeveld. Photographed by Mary Sue Ittner.
