1230.000 Hypoxis L.

Herbaceous geophyte with a fibrous base and with a corm. Leaves basal, sessile, with a sheathing base; outermost reduced to cataphylls. Indumentum of 2-armed or stellate hairs. Inflorescence a raceme or corymb or flowers solitary. Flowers without a perianth tube. Tepals in two series of 3; yellow inside, hairy on the outer side. Fruit a capsule. Seeds not strophiolate, smooth or (often) papillose

Comment: All our species are deceptively similar while within each species shape and size of plants, leaves and flowers can be quite variable. This makes the species notoriously difficult to identify.

Worldwide: 150 species in warm and tropical regions, most frequent in the southern hemisphere

Zimbabwe: 11 taxa.