Drimia altissima

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

A herb that keeps growing from year to year. It grows 2 m tall. The leaves are in a small ring near the base. They are greyish-green. The flowers occur as about 100 on a long spike. They are white with a green midrib.

Also put in the family Hyacinthaceae.

Where it is found

It is a subtropical plant. It grows in open woodland. It can grow in arid places.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central Africa, Côte d'Ivoire, East Africa, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinée, Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Southern Africa, Sudan, West Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe

How it is used for food

The bulb is eaten raw.

Edible parts

Fruit, stem, root - starch

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

Ornithogalum altissimum L.f.; Urginea altissima (L.f.) Baker; Urginea micrantha (A. Rich.) Solms-Laub.