Lachenalia pallida brown-green leaves

The pointed, brown-tipped leaves of Lachenalia pallida in picture display the slightly raised, warty patches sometimes found on this plant’s leaves. The channelled leaves are slightly angled up. Not all plants seem to have managed a second, opposing leaf.

The open flowers are bright yellow in their upper parts, white below. The unopened buds are brown purple with white tips. A few bracts right at the tip of these inflorescences indicate where buds did not develop. Stem elongation gives the opening flowers slightly more space than the compact buds start off with.

These plants were seen in the Tinie Versfeld Wildflower Reserve at the end of August (Manning, 2007).