The Bokkeveld Plateau is an area in the northwest Cape that includes Cape fynbos, mountain renosterveld and succulent karoo vegetation types. Near the town of Nieuwoudtville where there has been heavy grazing in the renosterveld there is a wonderful show of annuals and geophytes which have led it to be called the bulb capital of the world. Other species grow in the doleritic clay of the mountain karoo vegetation. Grazing has eliminated the shrubs so that the smaller plants have light. Most of the low rainfall occurs in winter and spring and the greatest display of wildflowers occur from August to September. In March the Amaryllidaceae make a spectacular display as well, flowering as the temperatures drop after summer showers and before their leaves appear. 2001 was a very wet year and there was a very good display of flowers late winter into spring.


Albuca

Albuca canadensis, syn. Albuca maxima is found on rocky slopes. Photos taken September 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner.
Albuca canadensis, Mary Sue Ittner Albuca canadensis, Mary Sue Ittner


Androcymbium

Androcymbium latifolium syn. Androcymbium pulchrum blooming in the Nieuwoudtville reserve August 2001. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Androcymbium latifolium


Babiana

Babiana flabellifolia growing in doleritic clay outcrops in rock cracks where it is protected from the predators photographed in the Nieuwoudtville Reserve August 2001 by Mary Sue Ittner.
Babiana flabellifolia

Babiana framesii seen in Nieuwoudtville in September 2006 growning not far from the road. Photographs by Bob Rutemoeller
Babiana framesii, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Babiana framesii, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller

Babiana vanzylieae blooming in mass near Nieuwoudtville August 2001. Also in the picture is Hesperantha pauciflora and an unidentified Spiloxene, possibly Spiloxene serrata Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Babiana vanzylieae


Boophone

Boophone haemanthoides leaves near Nieuwouldtville August 2001. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Boophone haemanthoides leaves


Bulbinella

Bulbinella elegans blooming in clay soils in renosterveld August 2001. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Bulbinella elegans

Bulbinella latifolia ssp. doleritica, one of the endemics, blooming in the Nieuwoudtville Reserve August 2001. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner.
Bulbinella latifolia ssp. doleritica

Bulbinella nutans ssp. nutans blooming in a very wet area in August 2001. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Bulbinella nutans ssp. nutans


Crossyne

Crossyne flava has strap-shaped leaves fringed with long, white or straw-colored bristles, with small, angular, red speckles beneath. This photo by Mary Sue Ittner shows the leaves on plants growing near Nieuwoudtville August 2001.
Crossyne flava leaves


Cyanella

Cyanella alba photographs seen below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner south of Nieuwoudtville September 2006. In the first picture it is growing with Moraea pritezliana.
Cyanella alba, Moraea pritzliana near Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Cyanella alba near Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Cyanella alba near Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner


Eucomis

Eucomis regia photographed in Nieuwoudtville by Cameron McMaster.
Eucomis regia Eucomis regia


Geissorhiza

Geissorhiza inaequalis photographed by Mary Sue Ittner in September 2006 in the Nieuwoudtville flower reserve.
Geissorhiza inaequalis Geissorhiza inaequalis

Geissorhiza splendidissima was seen blooming near Nieuwoudtville September 2006 with Sparaxis elegans. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Geissorhiza splendidissima, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Geissorhiza splendidissima, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Geissorhiza splendidissima,  Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Geissorhiza splendidissima with Sparaxis elegans,  Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Geissorhiza splendidissima with Sparaxis elegans,  Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner


Gladiolus

Gladiolus scullyi photographed by Bob Rutemoeller September 2006 near Nieuwoudtville.
Gladiolus scullyi Gladiolus scullyi

Gladiolus watermeyeri blooming near Nieuwoudtville August 2001. Photo by Mary Sue Ittner
Gladiolus watermeyeri


Hesperantha

Hesperantha cucullata blooming near Nieuwoudtville in September 2006. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
Hesperantha cucullata, Bob Rutemoeller Hesperantha cucullata, Bob Rutemoeller Hesperantha cucullata, Mary Sue Ittner Hesperantha cucullata, Bob Rutemoeller

Hesperantha pauciflora blooming in Nieuwoudtville in the middle of Romulea sabulosa August 2001, photograph by Mary Sue Ittner
Hesperantha pauciflora


Lapeirousia

Lapeirousia jacquinii blooming near Nieuwoudtville September 2006. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner.
Lapeirousia jacquinii Lapeirousia jacquinii

Lapeirousia oreogena blooming in the Nieuwoudtville Reserve September 2006. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller.
Lapeirousia oreogena


Moraea

Moraea bubalina Photos by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner taken September 2007.
Moraea bubalina, Bob Rutemoeller Moraea bubalina, Bob Rutemoeller Moraea bubalina, Bob Rutemoeller Moraea bubalina, Mary Sue Ittner Moraea bubalina, Mary Sue Ittner

Moraea gawleri Photo taken September 2006 by Mary Sue Ittner near Nieuwoudtville
Moraea gawleri, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner

Moraea pritzeliana photographed September 2006 by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner south of Nieuwoudtville.
Moraea pritzeliana, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Moraea pritzeliana, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner

Moraea tripetala photos taken September 2006 near Nieuwoudtville by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner
Moraea tripetala, Bob Rutemoeller Moraea tripetala, Mary Sue Ittner Moraea tripetala, Mary Sue Ittner

Moraea vallisbelli (syn. Homeria vallisbelli) Photos by Mary Sue Ittner taken September 2006 near Nieuwoudtville.
Moraea vallisbelli, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Moraea vallisbelli, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Moraea vallisbelli, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Moraea vallisbelli, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Moraea vallisbelli, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner


Romulea

Romulea amoena photographed by Mary Sue Ittner near Nieuwoudtville in August 2001
Romulea amoena

Romulea sabulosa flowering in mass in Nieuwoudtville, South Africa in August 2001, where it was growing in wet sand. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller. See also the photo with Hesperantha pauciflora above.
Romulea sabulosa


Sparaxis

Sparaxis elegans seen blooming near Nieuwoudtville September 2006. The pictures below were taken by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner. They show a number of them blooming next to the road with close-ups showing a pollinator and the detail of the flowers. The next to the last picture shows a plant with different coloring in the same population and the last shows a group mixed with Geissorhiza splendidissima blooming at the same time.
Sparaxis elegans, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Sparaxis elegans, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Sparaxis elegans, Nieuwoudtville, Bob Rutemoeller Sparaxis elegans, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Sparaxis elegans, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner

Sparaxis tricolor seen flowering in Nieuwoudtville September 2006. Photos taken by Mary Sue Ittner and Bob Rutemoeller including a close-up with a beetle pollinator and the last shown with Lapeirousia jacquinii
Sparaxis tricolor, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner Sparaxis tricolor, Nieuwoudtville, BobRutemoeller Sparaxis tricolor, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner


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