''Eriospermum pubescens'' is a species of geophytic plant of the genus ''
Eriospermum
''Eriospermum'' is a genus of tuberous flowering plants. It contains about 80-100 species, native to sub-Saharan Africa.
Name
The name "Eriospermum" is from the Greek ''erion'' for "wool" and ''sperma'' for "seed". In the APG III classificat ...
'', indigenous to the southern Cape,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Description
The leaf is heart-shaped (7 cm long, 6 cm wide), relatively hairless (sometimes with straight hairs pressed flat against the leaf surface, especially on the underside), and held prostrate against the ground.
Several related species, such as ''
Eriospermum capense
''Eriospermum capense'' is a species of geophytic plant of the genus ''Eriospermum'', indigenous to the Western Cape Province, South Africa.
Description
The leaf is heart-shaped (7,5 cm long, 6 cm wide), suberect-to-spreading, and app ...
'', ''
Eriospermum breviscapum'' and ''
Eriospermum zeyheri'', have a similar heart-shaped leaf.
The tuber is irregular shaped, with reddish-purple flesh, and the plants can offset and form clusters.
This species flowers from February to April.
Distribution and habitat
''Eriospermum pubescens'' occurs in
renosterveld vegetation, in clay-rich soils across the southern Cape,
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
. It occurs from Ceres in the north, southwards to Somerset West, and eastwards as far as Knysna.
Distribution map
/ref>
References
pubescens
Renosterveld
{{Asparagaceae-stub