Spring Wildflowers at Grootbos and Walker Bay
Spring Wildflowers at Grootbos and Walker Bay.
One of the endemics to Grootbos, this species was first collected by Heiner Lutzeyer on the upper slopes of Witkransberg after a small fire in November 2004. It was sent to Kirstenbosch and thought to be an unusual form of Lachenalia montana that also grows in the area. However, subsequent to the huge, February 2006 fire thousands of this ‘unusual form’ of L. montana appeared on the sandstone ridges of the reserve and it was subsequently classified as a new species, endemic to Grootbos, Lachenalia lutzeyeri. Remarkably, although many leaves were seen in the second year following the fire, only three plants were seen flowering and by year three it had all but disappeared from the landscape – waiting underground for the next fire to bloom and seed!
Lachenalia lutzeyeri is presently only known from the type locality on Witkransberg on Grootbos. It has remained undetected until recently owing to its extremely erratic flowering, due to its dependence on summer or early autumn fires, coupled with its very late flowering period and the slim chance of it being recognised as a distinct taxon due to its superficial similarity to other members of the genus. L. lutzeyeri is remarkable in being one of only three members of this genus known to be entirely dependent on the effects of fire for flowering to occur. The others being L. montana and L. sargeantii.
The species grows in full sun in open aspects or between Table Mountain Sandstone boulders,
on a number of ridges on the reserve between about 350 and 400 m above sea level.
