About Cyanella hyacinthoides Royen ex L.
This species grows a basal rosette of slender, lanceolate leaves with crisped, wavy margins. Its mildly scented flowers can be mauve, pink, purple, blue, or rarely white, and are borne on a spreading inflorescence that appears in spring (from August to November in the southern hemisphere). Mature plants reach up to 40 centimetres in height. It is native to the Cape region of South Africa, where it occurs most commonly in renosterveld. It typically grows in loamy soil on clay and granite slopes. Its native range extends north to Namaqualand, and south into the Overberg region of the southern Cape as far as the town of Riversdale. It has also been reported to be naturalised in Western Australia. Its cooked bulb is edible, and is said to be used as a substitute for onion. The plant tolerates drought, but is damaged by frost.
