Description
Family: Hyacinthaceae
Common names: leopard lily, little white soldiers, small snake lily (Eng.), injobo, ucibicibane (isiZulu)
This wonderful, attractive, small but hardy bulb, previously known as Drimiopsis maculata, is tolerant of neglect and fairly easy to grow, has purple, eye-catching blotches or spots on glossy, dark green, heart-shaped leaves, which makes for a sought after garden and pot plant.
Ledebouria petiolata is a robust bulbous plant that reaches heights of 100–350 mm and spreads rapidly, with clumps reaching ± 300 mm in diameter. The actual storage organ is a globose (spherical) bulb made up of fleshy leaf scales that resemble lily scales, white towards the base and dark pink-purple at the top. Bulbs are deciduous in winter-rainfall regions, but can be evergreen in temperate summer rainfall climates.
The plants have strikingly spotted leaves, 75–120 mm long and ±45 mm wide, on slender petioles (leaf stalks), often with wavy margins, glossy, mid to dark green, depending on whether it grows indoors or outdoors.
Its peduncle (flower stalk) reaches 300 mm tall, bearing a tight cluster of small, scented white flowers, turning pale green on opening. Flowers appear in late winter or early spring and throughout summer.
Planting ideas and uses: garden beds, landscaping, patio and partial shade, pots and containers
http://pza.sanbi.org/ledebouria-petiolata
