Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden, South Africa

Common name: Geelkalossie, Koringblom, African corn lily

Family: Iridaceae (Iris)

Distribution: Piketberg to Melkbos

Habitat: Renosterveld wet granitic and sandy soils and outcrops

National red list: Near Threatened

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

Comments: This is a striking Cape endemic bulb with a fairly restricted range. It has lost a large part of its habitat to agricultural and urban expansion and at the current rate of habitat loss this species will soon be Vulnerable on the SANBI Red List. It is one of the plants in the Cape Floral Kingdom that are pollinated by monkey beetles, a group of scarab beetles which are very diverse in the Cape. Typically radially symmetrical, bowl-shaped flowers with bright colours and conspicuous contrasting markings known as “beetle marks” are associated with pollination by monkey beetles. Other examples of Cape plants that are pollinated by monkey beetles and which share these traits are Ixia dubia and Baeometra uniflora, which is commonly known as the beetle lily.