Botanical name

Babiana ambigua

Family

Iridaceae

Common Name

Bobbejaantjie
Babiana ambigua
Babiana ambigua
Babiana ambigua
Babiana ambigua
Babiana ambigua
Babiana ambigua

Description

Cormous geophyte up to 10cm, the corm tunics netted. Leaves linear-lanceolate, pleated and hairy and often longer than the flower stem. Flowers blue to mauve with darker mauve and white to cream markings on lower tepals, fragrant; bracts usually entirely green, inner bracts divided to the base.

The corms are favoured by baboons hence common name Bobbejaantjie. Corms were also a favourite food of the Griqua people, first mentioned by William Burchell in 1811.

Habitat

Sandy flats and lower slopes

Flower Date

August to September