Drimia is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family with white short lived flowers. Taxonomists have now included a number of genera in this genus once separated as other genera. The subgroups in this expanded genus are: Drimia - Litanthus - Rhadamanthus - Tenicroa - Urginea
This wiki page illustrates the members of the Drimia group. The Drimia index includes a table with all the species in the subgroups in this genus listed by name.
Drimia capensis is found in mostly clay but also deep red sands and limestone from southern Namaqualand to the Eastern Cape. It grows from 1 to 2 meters high. Bulbs become very large and are undergound or partly exposed. The slightly undulate large leaves are dry at flowering. Flowers are white to yellowish with green keels. Photos taken by Cameron McMaster in the Overberg.
Drimia elata syn. Drimia robusta is found in grassland, sandy and clay soils from Namaqualand to the Cape Peninsula, South Africa to Eastern Africa. It has purplish brown, greenish or whitish flowers in a crowded raceme on an erect to spreading stalk. Photos from Cameron McMaster taken in the Overberg and Eastern Cape.
Drimia minor is found on sandy flats in the Cape Province. It has terete erect leaves mostly dry at flowering and grows from 5 to 20 cm high. It has a few white to brownish small flowers and blooms from November to March. Photos by Andrew Harvie.
Drimia salteri grows on sandy or stony soils in the southwest Cape. Plants grow to 25 cm. The white to brown or maroon flowers that are open at night are crowded in a slender raceme. It flowers late spring into summer. Photo taken by Cameron McMaster near Napier in the Overberg.
Drimia sphaerocephala is found in grassland in the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal. This species flowers before the leaves. Flowers are white, pink, or mauve with a short tube and tepals folder back. It flowers in summer. Photo from Cameron McMaster taken at Satan’s Nek.
Drimia index - Litanthus - Rhadamanthus - Tenicroa - Urginea