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A little plant with mats of leaves and delicate white flowers that nestle down among them, like grass poking up through a light snowfall. Brian Mathew says: "Distribution: Lesotho, Natal, apparently confined to an area of the Drakensberg between Giant's Castle snf the plateau of Lesotho. Habitat: in damp turf and bare gravelly areas on blackish humus-rich soils. 2650-3050m (8700-10,000 feet). There have been suggestions that R. thodiana is more difficult to cultivate than other species, but this has not been my experience. They all thrive in fairly wet conditions and they haven't been bothered by winter, at least not here. Rare Plants (Paul Christian) says: "Short dagger-like leaves, unusually, carry tufted hairs on both the top and bottom. The flowers are remarkably large for the size of the tiny bulbs and are pink stars, borne in stalked clusters, the weight of the flowers often pulling them down towards the ground. They have a distinct and delightful perfume. Hortipedia says: "Rhodohypoxis thodiana was first described and the name validly published by Gert Cornelius Nel but was revised and reclassified by Olive Mary Hilliard and Brian Laurence Burtt in 1975. |
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| 4th June 2006 | ||
