Namaqualand is an arid area in northwest South Africa. Although it is a winter rainfall area, rainfall is sparse and the plants found in this area are not included in some of the books illustrating South African bulbs since it is not considered to be part of the Cape Floral province. For most of the year, the land appears to be a desert and because it has an average annual rainfall of 50-400 mm it could be classified as such. But in a year with adequate rainfall, it becomes alive with an amazing floral display of annuals, bulbs, dwarf shrubs, and succulents. Flowering usually occurs in August and September, but dry winds which halt the display can end it sooner. In a year with little rainfall, there are few flowers. Summers are hot and dry but there is occasional fog since the ocean is not that far away. Photos on this page were taken in Namaqualand. More information about the plants seen on this page can be found on the wiki genus pages. Links are included to make it easier to go directly to these pages. Species in the genera from A-F, Albuca to Ferraria, are pictured below.
Albuca canadensis, syn. Albuca maxima is found on rocky slopes. Photos were taken September 2006 by Bob Rutemoeller.
Albuca dilucula (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt, formerly known as Ornithogalum diluculum Oberm., grows to 25 cm tall with a solitary spreading leaf that is dry at flowering. Photos from Andrew Harvie taken northeast of Springbok.
Albuca longipes grows in dry silty loam in karroid scrub from the Richtersveld to Biedouw Valley. Photos were taken by Andrew Harvie near Springbok.
Albuca namaquensis is distributed from Namibia to the Eastern Cape, South Africa, and grows on sandstone slopes. The photo was taken by Cameron McMaster near Kamieskroon.
Albuca secunda formerly known as Ornithogalum secundum is found on stony slopes and flats. Photos were taken in habitat by Andrew Harvie northwest of Steinkopf.
Albuca sp. photos were taken by Mary Sue Ittner. Looking at the Namaqualand field guide she wondered if this could be Albuca suaveolens, syn. Ornithogalum suaveolens, but there are many species of Albuca and Ornithogalum in Namaqualand and only a small proportion were illustrated. It has been suggested to be Albuca semipedalis. The only information that she has been able to discover about that species is that it is in the same grouping as Albuca suaveolens along with 12 other species, all characterized by leaves several, erect, not spirally twisted, and usually acuminate.
Albuca spiralis is distributed in the northwestern and southwestern Cape from Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula and to the eastern Little Karoo, South Africa, growing in sandy and loamy soils. The photo was taken by Andrew Harvie in the Kamiesberg.
Albuca suaveolens, syn. Ornithogalum suaveolens, is found on dry slopes and flats in a wide area including Namibia, Namaqualand, and the Cape Province. The photo was taken near Kamieskroon by Cameron McMaster.
Albuca unifolia is native to Southern Africa from Southern Namibia through Namaqualand, Bushmanland, and Roggeveld to the Tanqua Karoo and western Little Karoo where it grows in arid areas, deep sands, granite outcrops, and quartz gravel plains. The photo below was taken by John Grimshaw from Kamieskroon, Northern Cape, flowering at Colesbourne.
Babiana curviscapa is a species found in Namaqualand in flat sandy places. The first photo was taken August 2001 not too far from the road. The second was taken September 2006. Photos 1-2 were taken by Mary Sue Ittner. Photos 3-4 were taken by Cameron McMaster September 2011 near Kamieskroon. The last photo is also from Cameron McMaster.
Babiana dregei is found in rock crevices on hills and mountain slopes on sandy stony soil in central Namaqualand. Photos 1-5 were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner September 2006. Photo 6 taken by Cameron McMaster September 2011.
Babiana flabellifolia grows in doleritic clay outcrops in rock cracks where it is protected from the predators. The range of this species is from northern Namaqualand south to the Bokkeveld Plateau. Photos were taken by Alan Horstmann southeast of Garies and north of Concordia in July.
Babiana torta grows in crevices in granite outcrops or granitic gravel flowering from May to June. The first photo from iNaturalist was taken by Kevin Murray in July and shared under a CC BY-NC license. The next two photos were taken in September 2007 by Mary Sue Ittner of the distinctive leaves and of seed pods.
Bulbine spp. Two unidentified species photographed by Mary Sue Ittner.
Bulbinella cauda-felis (L.f.) T.Durand & Schinz is widespread in the winter rainfall area of South Africa, growing on sandstone, granite, or clay. The first photo was taken near Kamieskroon by Cameron McMaster. Photos two and three were taken by Mary Sue Ittner.
Bulbinella ciliolata occurs in the vicinity of Springbok and Kamieskroon where it grows in broken veld on sandy loams of the granite hills, especially in damper depressions or by streamlets. The photo was taken by Andrew Harvie of a plant growing on a farm in the Kamiesberg.
Bulbinella latifolia ssp. latifolia The first picture was taken by Mary Sue Ittner on a rainy day in a wet year (August 2001) in Namaqua National Park where it was growing in a very wet place. Other flowers were closed because of the weather, so it really stood out. The next five photos were taken in the Kamiesberg in 2006 by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Chlorophytum crassinerve is a Northern Cape species growing to 40 cm that blooms August to October. Photos were taken by Cameron McMaster near Carolusberg August 2011.
Colchicum capense subsp. ciliolatum, syn. Androcymbium ciliolatum, is found throughout Namaqualand in sandy, often moist places, southwards to Piketberg. The photo was taken by Alan Horstmann near Kamieskroon, August 2021.
Colchicum spp., syn. Androcymbium spp.. Below are a number of unidentified species. The first two were taken in the Kamiesberg by Andrew Harvie. The last was photographed by Mary Sue Ittner.
Crinum variabile is a species that grows in seasonal streams. Photos were taken in habitat on the road to Studer's Pass, Kamiesberg, by Andrew Harvie.
Crocosmia fucata is endemic to Namaqualand and is found in only a few places in locally moist habitats. Photos below were taken by Cameron McMaster November 2009 near Kamieskroon showing the habitat, leaves, and flowers.
Cyanella hyacinthoides grows on mostly clay and granite slopes, often in renosterveld from Namaqualand to the southern Cape and the Karoo. Photos below from Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner were taken September 2006.
Cyanella orchidiformis grows on rocky flats and lower slopes, often in wet spots, from Namibia to the western Cape (Clanwilliam). The photos below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner September 2006.
Daubenya namaquensis (Schltr.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt Red is found on sandy flats along washes. Photos were taken by Arthur Benjamin Cloete in the Concordia Commonage. He writes that the flowers smell like sweet honey.
Drimia multifolia, syn. Tenicroa multifolia, is found on rocks and poorly drained soils from southern Namibia into the western Karoo and the southwest Cape. Photos were taken by Andrew Harvie in the Kamiesberg.
Eriospermum paradoxum (Jacq.) Ker Gawl. is a widespread species distributed from Namaqualand south and east to Grahamstown where it grows in sandy and clay soils. A photo of the leaves of multiple plants was taken near Kamieskroon by Cameron McMaster.
Eucomis regia is found on mostly cooler south-facing clay slopes in Namaqualand and the western Karoo and the Little Karoo. It was photographed September 2006 by Bob Rutemoeller.
Ferraria macrochlamys , syn. Ferraria uncinata ssp. macrochlamys is endemic to Namaqualand. Photos below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner in Namaqua National Park September 2006.
Ferraria variabilis, syn. Ferraria divaricata subsp. australis and Ferraria divaricata subsp. divaricata is found on sandy and shale flats and rock outcrops from Namibia to the southern Cape and the Little Karoo. Photos 1-2 were taken near Springbok by Andrew Harvie. Photos 3-4 were taken by Cameron McMaster near Knersvlakte September 2011.
Namaqualand G-I - Namaqualand L-M - Namaqualand O - Namaqualand P-Z - Namaqualand Index