STRUMARIA PHONOLITHICA

This member of the Amaryllidaceae family was given this name by Moritz Kurt Dinter in 1923. It is found in the Aurus and Klinghardt mountains in south-western Namibia, growing in a well drained sandy or gravel soil with not that much water and lots sun. The bulb can grow to six centimetres in diameter, the entire plant to 19 centimetres in height. The flowers are white to light pink.

The genera name from Latin, struma; 'a cushion-shaped swelling', and - aria which relates to 'possessing', a name that refers to the swollen base of the style. The species name phonolithica is derived from Greek and is descriptive of the volcanic grey phonolite rock plates amongst which this species has been found. This is a late autumn-winter-grower.