Kingdom Plantae Clade Monocots Family Asparagaceae Scientific name Eucomis vandermerwei | Clade Angiosperms Order Asparagales Subfamily Scilloideae Rank Species | |
Similar Eucomis, Eucomis autumnalis, Eucomis bicolor, Eucomis comosa, Lachenalia bulbifera | ||
Eucomis vandermerwei is a South African plant and a member of the Asparagus family (Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae), and like other members of Eucomis is commonly known as Pineapple Lily for its resemblance to that plant. This species is one of the smallest in the genus—some 100 mm tall—and is native to the high-rainfall Steenkampsberg, 60 km north of Belfast in Mpumalanga. The dense rosette of leaves, either prostrate or ascending, is heavily blotched with purple, and leaf-edges are markedly crisped or wavy. The attractive burgundy flowers appear in midsummer (November–January).
The species, first described by Inez Verdoorn in 1944, is remarkably tolerant of low temperatures and may be propagated from seed or leaf cuttings, by division of the large tunicated bulb or from offsets. It grows naturally in the shelter of grassland rocks, though predation by plant collectors has placed it on the endangered list.