Description :

• Perennial, deciduous, bulbous herbs
• Bulb globose to ovoid, occasionally forming a neck, usually with membranous outer scales, fleshy, white, pink, yellowish or greenish inner scales
• Leaf 1(2); narrowly linear; present only on young bulbs, soon withering and falling
• Inflorescence intricately branched or branches fastigiate, erect or scrambling, up to 500 mm long, wiry, green, persisting until end of flowering season, minute grey hairs present near base; bracts small, membranous, spurred
• Flowers white or pale yellow to pale pink, with or without greenish or brown keels; small; nocturnal; pedicels resembling inflorescence branchlets
• Tepals fused basally, somewhat spreading, deciduous; cohering above when wilted, circumscissile below, forming a cap on the developing capsule
• Stamens 6, arising from base of tepals, shorter than tepals; filaments free; anthers oblong, dorsifixed, versatile, introrse
• Ovary globose to ovoid, with 4-8 ovules in each locule; style terete; stigma apical
• Fruit a small, globose to ovoid capsule, trigonous, membranous; dehiscing loculicidally
• Seeds 1-3 per locule, semiglobose, black, shiny
• x = 10

Nomenclature:

• Schizobasis Baker
  • Baker: 105 (1873)
  • Baker: 367 (1896)
  • Baker: 469 (1898)
  • Sölch et al.: 65 (1970)
  • Jessop: 309 (1977)
  • Bruyns & Vosa: 295 (1987)
  • Hutchings et al.: 29 (1996)
  • Stedje: 28 (1996)
  • Retief & Herman: 105 (1997)

Distribution & Notes:

• Global : Species 1(-5), Africa, from South Africa to Ethiopia
• Southern Africa : Widespread but rare, all countries (except Lesotho) and all provinces
  • Occurs in grassland, woodland and semidesert, most frequently in rocky places

Additional Notes:

• Photosynthetic function is performed by the inflorescence as the leaf (leaves) is usually rudimentary and soon withering
• Bulbs are reported to be edible and are used medicinally