APODOLIRION MACOWANII

This member of the Amaryllidaceae family was given this name by John Gilbert Baker in 1888. It is found in Eastern Cape, South Africa, growing on the sandy plains with little to some water and lots of sun. The bulb can grow to three or four centimetres, the curly leaves to ten centimetres, and the white flower up to fifteen centimetres height. Apodolirion means ‘stemless flower’ in Greek, alluding to the almost stalkless flowers of the genus. The species name in honour of the Grahamstown botanist and chemistry teacher, Professor Peter MacOwan, 1830–1909, who found plants along the banks of the Coega River in Port Elizabeth in 1872 and brought them to the attention of scientists.