Albuca is an African genus of more than 100 species belonging to the Hyacinthaceae family and includes some species more recently included in Ornithogalum. All Albuca species grow from bulbs, and most have a dormancy period after flowering whereby they lose their leaves. The flower scape is unbranched. The flowers are white and yellow and are embellished with a green to brown stripe down the middle of each outer tepal. Species A-F are found on this wiki page.
Albuca index - Albuca G-P - Albuca R-Z - Ornithogalum
Albuca abyssinica is native to Southern and tropical Africa. Purchased from Tim Harvey under the name, Albuca angolensis which is a synonym. Photos from Monica Swartz.
Albuca acuminata These plants grown and photographed by Paul Tyerman were supposed to be Albuca flaccida but they have a white tip instead of a yellow one. This is the best guess for what they are. This species grows in a rather wide range of the Cape in deep sands and has nodding yellow to green flowers with green keels and flowers in the spring.
Albuca aurea (syn. Ornithogalum auratum) is native to the southwestern area of the Western Cape Province, South Africa. The photos below were taken by Nhu Nguyen at the UC Botanical Garden May 2008.
Albuca bracteata (syn. Ornithogalum caudatum, Ornithogalum longibracteatum), is found on shaded slopes and forest margins from the southeastern Cape of South Africa to tropical East Africa. It grows to 1.5 m high and has whitish flowers with broad green keels formed in a dense raceme. Photos of cultivated plants from Janos Agoston.
The first two photos of plants below photographed in the wild were taken by Andrew Harvie. The next two taken in the Drakensberg Mountains were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Albuca canadensis (syn. Albuca maxima, Albuca major, Albuca altissima) Although this species has been known by many other names and has been called Albuca maxima in books published as recently as 2005, the accepted name by the Kew Checklist and confirmed by John Manning is now Albuca canadensis which is a name that used to be used for a yellow flowered species. Flowers on this species are white with a green stripe, nodding or drooping with somewhat succulent leaves that are rigid and deeply channeled. It is winter growing with a very short summer dormancy and flowers in late winter and spring. It grows to 5-6 feet (1.5-1.8 m). This species also produces copious seed, and has reportedly become naturalized in Italy. The first photo was taken by Paul Tyerman. The other photos are all habitat photos. The first of three taken by Mary Sue Ittner was taken in South Africa in August 2001 of one in bud growing in the rocks and the next two were taken near Nieuwoudtville in October 2006. The final two were taken by Bob Rutemoeller in Namaqualand October 2006.
The photographs below were taken by Pamela Slate of plants grown from bulbs supplied to BX 139 in February 2007 by Alberto Castillo as Albuca juncifolia which is a much shorter plant with yellow flowers. The pot is a foot tall and even though the plants flowered, I would recommend a pot 2-3 times this deep, I think that if planted in deeper containers they would grow faster and flower sooner.
The next set of photos by Pamela Slate show these plants in 2011; the first was taken when flowering was beginning. In full flower the plant was 1.5m tall from the ground to the tallest inflorescence and had 20 scapes. It flowers over a three-month period.
The origin of the name canadensis was explored in this and this PBS list discussions. The name was bestowed by Linnaeus (as Ornithogalum canadense). Although he visited Canada and specialised in plants from there, for this species he was misled by a wrongly labelled plant.
Albuca cooperi is found on stony, mostly sandy slopes, coastal dunes, and flats over a broad distribution (Namaqualand, western Karoo, Cape Peninsula to the southeastern Cape). Plants grow to 50 cm. The two to three leaves are narrow, linear, channeled, clasping and warty basally. Flowers are nodding, sweetly scented, yellow with green keels. Flowering is from September to January, probably depending on the location. Photo taken by Cameron McMaster September 2011 near Nieuwoudtville.
Albuca concordiana (syn. Ornithogalum concordianum, Ornithogalum apertum) grows on stony flats from southern Namibia through the northwest Cape to the Karoo and the southeast Cape. It flowers August through September and is distinguished by corkscrew-coiled leaves. It has yellow flowers with broad green keels. Photos taken September 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner near Calvinia.
Albuca crispa J.C.Manning & Goldblatt is a newly named (2009) southern African species growing from .1 to .3 meters. Photo taken January 2010 by Bob Rutemoeller in a very dry area of the Eastern Cape.
Albuca dilucula (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt, (syn. Ornithogalum diluculum Oberm.) grows to 25 cm. tall with a solitary spreading leaf that is dry at flowering. It has yellow slightly nodding flowers with greyish green keels and grows in the Northern Cape and the Western Cape to the western Karoo of South Africa. Photos from Andrew Harvie taken northeast of Springbok in Namaqualand.
Albuca fastigata grows on crevices and ledges of damp sandstone cliffs at 1800 to 2400 metres. Flowers are held erect, and are white with broad green stripes beneath the tepals and an unpleasant scent. Photo taken at Sentinel Peak in the Eastern Cape by Cameron McMaster.
Albuca flaccida was known for many years as Albuca canadensis which is now considered to be the correct name of another species. It has yellowish green, nodding flowers and is strongly and pleasantly perfumed. It flowers late winter and spring and is winter growing, summer dormant. This species produces copious seed which is easily dispersed by the wind, and has become naturalized in southwestern Australia. The first photo taken by Bob Rutemoeller and the second two photos from Paul Tyerman
Albuca index - Albuca G-P - Albuca R-Z - Ornithogalum