Drimia

Drimia is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family (or expanded Asparagaceae family) of bulbous plants that are deciduous or rarely evergreen. Bulbs are small or large, subterranean or epigeal. The one or more leaves are often dry at flowering. The inflorescence is a single to many flowered raceme with short lived (usually lasting less than a day, rarely two days, but with one to three blooms each day) white to yellowish green or brown flowers often with darker keels, erect to nodding but always erect in fruit. These plants are common in seasonally dry or semi-arid regions and many of them flower in late spring or summer regardless of the rainfall pattern. The African species are not generally cultivated because their flowers are not very spectacular and do not last very long.

In A revised generic synopsis of Hyacinthaceae in sub-Saharan Africa (2004) Manning et.al. included a number of genera in this genus once separated as other genera. Some of these were monotypic genera with species formerly included in other genera (Ledurgia, Boosia, Geschollia) and a couple had two species (Ebertia, Rhadamanthopsis). Others with more species that were included: Urginavia, Indurgia, Thuranthos. They included the Mediterranean, North African and western Asiatic species formerly in Urginea including the revived genus Fusifilum in Drimia. African genera once separated as Litanthus, Rhadamanthus, Schizobasis and Tenicroa were included in Drimia. This breakdown includes species in Africa, Madagascar, the Mediterranean area and Asia. In 2018 in Systematics of Drimia Goldblatt and Manning described the South African species. In 2023 some botanists are suggesting new genera or reverting to previous names.

Seeds of Drimia are reported to be ephemeral lasting 6-12 months. However, since the genus Drimia is now expanded to include many previous genera, this information may not hold true. Fresh seeds are always better. They should be sown just prior to the appropriate growing season, in a well-drained mix with plenty of moisture.


To see the species we have on the wiki see Drimia species or click on the species name in the table below.


Drimia species
Drimia altissima, Nicholas Wightman [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia altissima
Drimia anomala, Cookhouse, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia anomala
Drimia calcarata, Rob Palmer, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC-SA [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia calcarata
Drimia capensis, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia capensis
Drimia cochlearis, Dylan Hannon [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia cochlearis
:Drimia dregei, Christopher Whitehouse [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia dregei
Drimia echinostachya, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia echinostachya
Drimia elata, Eastern Cape, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia elata
Drimia exuviata, Christopher Whitehouse [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia exuviata
Drimia filifolia, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia filifolia
Drimia flagellaris, Alessandro Marinello [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia flagellaris
Drimia fragrans, linkie, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia fragrans
Drimia haworthioides, Nhu Nguyen [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia haworthioides
Drimia indica, Lilayi, Nicholas Wightman [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia indica
Drimia loedolffiae, Bolo Reserve, Ernst van Jaarsveld [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
*Drimia loedolffiae
Drimia macrantha, Waainek, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia macrantha
Drimia macrocentra, syn. Urginea macrocentra, ansell, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia macrocentra
Drimia maritima, Nhu Nguyen [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia maritima
Drimia media, Nicola van Berkel, iNaturalist, CC BY-SA [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia media
Drimia minor, De Hoop Nature Reserve, Andrew Harvie [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia minor
Drimia multifolia, syn. Tenicroa multifolia, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia multifolia
Drimia nana, Romain Amato [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia nana
Drimia physodes, syn. Fusifilum physodes, Dylan Hannon [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia physodes
Drimia platyphylla, syn. Rhadamanthus platyphyllus flowers, Nhu Nguyen [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia platyphylla
Drimia salteri, Napier, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia salteri
Drimia sphaerocephala, Dylan Hannon [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia sphaerocephala
Drimia undata, syn. Urginia undulata, Roland de Boer and Gemma Geverink [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia undata
Drimia uniflora, syn. Litanthus pusillus, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia uniflora
Drimia uranthera syn. Rhadamanthus urantherus, Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Drimia uranthera
Drimia indica, Lilayi, Nicholas Wightman [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
*Drimia zambesiaca
* = synonym

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