Lapeirousia plicata

Native to southern Africa (South Africa, Botswana, Namibia), where it grows in the arid and semi-desert biomes of the North West, Northern Cape and Free State, Lapeirousia plicata is a tuberous geophyte forming tiny tufts seldom exceeding 5 cm including the flowers. Its small, actinomorphic, long-tubed flowers are blue with white markings or pure white; a distinctive trait is the orientation of the stamens, erect in bud but splaying to a near-horizontal position once the anthers dehisce. It requires well-drained, sandy or stony soil, a sunny exposure, and the dry summer dormancy typical of Cape Iridaceae.