''Bulbine favosa'' (also known as the Leafless Kopieva) is a species of tuberous,

geophytic A storage organ is a part of a plant specifically modified for storage of energy (generally in the form of carbohydrates) or water. Storage organs often grow underground, where they are better protected from attack by herbivores. Plants that have ...

plant in the genus ''

Bulbine ''Bulbine'' is a genus of plants in the family Asphodelaceae and subfamily Asphodeloideae, named for the bulb-shaped tuber of many species. It was formerly placed in the Liliaceae. It is found chiefly in Southern Africa, with a few species extend ...

'', which grows in sandy soils in South Africa.

Distribution

''Bulbine favosa'' is native to the

Western Cape The Western Cape is a province of South Africa, situated on the south-western coast of the country. It is the fourth largest of the nine provinces with an area of , and the third most populous, with an estimated 7 million inhabitants in 2020 ...

Province, South Africa, where it occurs from

Piketberg Piketberg (also sometimes spelt Piquetberg in the past) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa, located about 80 km east of Saldanha Bay. The original spelling of the name was "Piquetberg". The town is in the foothills of the Piketberg mounta ...

in the north, to the

Riviersonderend Mountains The Riviersonderend Mountains are a mountain range in the Cape Fold Belt of the Western Cape province of South Africa. They run east to west from Riviersonderend to Villiersdorp, separating the Breede River Valley from the Overberg region. They ...

in the south. Its typical habitat is low slopes and flat terrain, on limestone or sandy substrates.

Description

While flowering, ''B. favosa'' has no leaves; its common name is in reference to this. When it is not flowering, it has a few narrowly linear or filiform leaves that look like a sedge crossed with a Grape Hyacinth. ''Bulbine favosa'' usually flowers in May for a short time; its flowers are yellow, small and fragrant. Its capsules are globose.

References

favosa {{Asphodelaceae-stub