Austronea linearis - Oudtshoorn and Calitzdorp observed
This species is widespread from the inland western areas of the Eastern Cape Province, the Little Karoo, the north-western Northern Cape Province and southern Namibia.
It was known as Drimia sp nova in some literature and also refered to as Drimia minor
The bulb is a winter grower and has narrow linear leaves, only 2–3 mm wide, which are synanthous or withered at flowering time, apparently smooth but covered by minute papillae along the whole surface under magnification when dry.
The flowering time is around October in the Oudtshoorn area.
The flowers are quite small, brownish and only open a few at a time.
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The bulbs starting to flower. The peduncles are nodding in the early stages similar to others in the genus.
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Flowering near Calitzdorp Dam.
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Three leaves per plant are more common in this area then around Leopoort south of Oudtshoorn.
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Leopoort flowering.
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Leaves at leopoort vary from 1 to 3. Two being most common.
Seed production of this species is mostly reasonable, but since the plants grow solitary and often well spaced apart, not enough seed is harvested to put them on a price list. Therefore the bulbs will only be available on Plant Auction