Genus Hypoxis
There is at least 90 species of plant in the genus Hypoxis, known colloquially as the Star Lily, with indigenous representatives being found in Australia, Asia, the Americas and sub-Saharan Africa. Almost half the known species are found in southern Africa. Most species occur in grasslands. They grow to about 50cm tall, with the star-shaped flowers – bright yellow in colour in the majority of species – being rather short lived. Leaves and flowers are only borne in the warmer months, with the plants overwintering through their underground rootstock. It is this rootstock that is used traditionally as food and medicine that gave the Star Lily its alternative name of African Potato, now even researched in western medicine as an immune booster.
DeWetsWild 