Lachenalia macgregoriorum, Barker, 1979

Duncan, Graham D., 2017, Two new species, two rediscoveries and a range extension in Lachenalia (Asparagaceae: Scilloideae) from southern and western South Africa, Phytotaxa 316 (3), pp. 261-270 : 269

Rediscovery of Lachenalia macgregoriorum

Lachenalia macgregoriorum Barker (1979: 199) was described from plants collected in the area known as Charlies Hoek on the Bokkeveld Plateau near Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape on 5 November 1962. Lachenalia macgregoriorum is distinctive in having widely campanulate, maroonish-magenta flowers that appear late in the season, early summer, directly after the glaucous, narrowly lanceolate leaves have withered.

For a period of 59 years following its discovery, no further records of the species were made despite several searches. It was thought to have possibly become extinct or that specific environmental conditions were required for it to flower in the wild, and its threat status was assessed as critically endangered (possibly extinct) ( Duncan & von Staden 2015). On 26 October 2016, several flowering plants were found near the original site by Eugene Marinus, Curator of the Hantam National Botanical Garden at Nieuwoudtville, while attending to perimeter fence repairs within the grounds of this botanical garden. The plants were isolated specimens on red dolerite flats among dry grasses and low scrubby cover. Since this species flowers regularly in cultivation at Kirstenbosch without any special treatment, it is assumed the short-lived, somewhat cryptic maroonish-magenta perianth colour may have accounted for it having escaped the attention of collectors for so long. As the species is currently only known from one locality and consists of well below 100 individuals, its threat status should be altered to critically endangered.