Quick Characteristics:
| Flower Colors: | yellow |
Albuca namaquensis Baker (syn. Albuca circinata Baker) is distributed from Namibia to the Eastern Cape, South Africa. It is found on sandstone slopes and grows up to 30 cm high. The leaves are scabrid (rough or scaly) or hairy or smooth. If hairs are present, they are not glandular. In dry and sunny conditions its leaves coil like Albuca spiralis and thus these plants are often mistakenly called A. spiralis. In cultivation, the leaves may remain evergreen if water is available. The first three photos below were taken by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller near Middelpos in the Roggeveld. The first photo shows a plant that is typically different from the other ones in cultivation in having a reddish pedicel. The fourth photo was taken by Cameron McMaster in Namaqualand.
Photos 1-6 below by Mary Sue Ittner show new leaves emerging September 2004 after a dry period in the summer and the flowers. The last photo shows a bulb on a 1 cm grid.
The first two photos below were taken by Uluwehi Knecht, who feels the flowers smell like Play-Doh. The last photo by Bob Rutemoeller was taken of a plant growing in a pot in the bulb room at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.
The photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen showing various aspects of the plant.
