Walleria nutans J. Kirk

nutans: nodding.

Erect perennial herb up to c. 30 cm tall, growing from 1-5 subspherical tubers, which are often buried up to 20 cm underground. Stem simple or sometimes up to 3-branched, hairless, strongly ribbed, scabrid or sometimes scattered recurved prickles. Leaves along the stem, sessile, linear-lanceolate, up to 17 cm long, longest higher up the stem, sometimes with recurved prickles on the midrib beneath and on the margin. Flowers on peduncles 2-5 cm long, nodding. Tepals white, pink, mauve, purple or blue, spreading, 6-15 mm long. Stamens yellow with blue or purple tips, tightly held together. Fruit a globose capsule, 8-17 mm in diameter, surrounded by the persistent perianth, green, yellow or orange.

Locally frequent

Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, northern South Africa, Botwana, Namibia.