Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: lachenalia

Family: Asparagaceae (Asparagus)

Distribution: Only known from Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve, Overberg

Habitat: Overberg Silcrete Renosterveld quartz

National red list: Not Evaluated

Life form: Geophyte (bulb, corm or tuber - seasonally dormant)

Comments: Lachenalia barbarae, with its delicate pink flowers, was discovered at Haarwegskloof Renosterveld Reserve by Jannie Groenewald who realised that the plant was likely to be a new species. Lachenalia expert Graham Duncan visited Haarwegskloof the following year and confirmed the species was indeed new, and published the description in 2017 in the journal Phytotaxa. Lachenalia barbarae was named in honour of Barbara Taylor, mother of donor Oren Taylor who had generously supported Overberg Renosterveld Conservation Trust that manages Harwegskloof Nature Reserve and engages in private landowner conservation in these biodiverse and extremely threatened landscapes.
Duncan, G. (2017). Two new species, two rediscoveries and a range extension in Lachenalia (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae) from southern and western South Africa. Phytotaxa, 316(3), 261–270. doi: 10.11646/phytotaxa.316.3.5