Albuca: My Fascination with the Slime Lilies
I’m Ferb Vu, and I’ve always been drawn to the unique and unusual in the plant world. That’s what led me to the Albuca genus, a fascinating group of plants commonly known as “slime lilies.” Now, I know what you’re thinking – “slime” doesn’t sound very appealing, does it? But trust me, these plants are far more captivating than their nickname might suggest.
Native primarily to southern and eastern Africa, Albuca are bulbous perennials that belong to the Asparagaceae family. Their fleshy, succulent leaves are often linear or strap-shaped, and they produce a mucilaginous sap when broken, hence the rather unflattering moniker. But it’s the flowers that truly steal the show. Ranging in color from white and yellow to green and even purple, Albuca flowers often feature striking green stripes and captivating scents, some reminiscent of vanilla or butter.
A Diverse Genus
One of the things that fascinates me most about Albuca is the sheer diversity within the genus. With over 160 recognized species, there’s an incredible variety in terms of size, shape, and growth habit. Some, like Albuca spiralis, are known for their tightly coiled leaves, resembling verdant springs. Others, like Albuca nelsonii, boast tall, elegant stems adorned with pendant, bell-shaped flowers.
- Albuca abyssinica Jacq.
- Albuca acuminata Baker
- Albuca adlami Baker
- Albuca albucoides (Aiton) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca amboensis (Schinz) Oberm.
- Albuca amoena (Batt.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca anisocrispa Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo
- Albuca annulata Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo
- Albuca arenosa J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca aurea Jacq.
- Albuca autumnula (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca bakeri Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo
- Albuca barbata (Jacq.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca batteniana Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
- Albuca bifolia Baker
- Albuca bifoliata R.A.Dyer
- Albuca boucheri U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca bracteata (Thunb.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca bruce-bayeri U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca buchananii Baker
- Albuca buffelspoortensis van Jaarsv.
- Albuca canadensis (L.) F.M.Leight.
- Albuca candida (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca caudata Jacq.
- Albuca chartacea (Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P.Dold) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca chlorantha Welw. ex Baker
- Albuca ciliaris U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca clanwilliamae-gloria U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca collina Baker
- Albuca concordiana Baker
- Albuca consanguinea (Kunth) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca cooperi Baker
- Albuca corymbosa Baker
- Albuca costatula (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca craibii (Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo & A.P.Dold) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca cremnophila van Jaarsv. & A.E.van Wyk
- Albuca crinifolia Baker
- Albuca crispa J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca crudenii Archibald
- Albuca dalyae Baker
- Albuca darlingana U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca deaconii van Jaarsv.
- Albuca decipiens U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca deserticola J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca dilucula (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca dinteri U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca donaldsonii Rendle
- Albuca dyeri (Poelln.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca echinosperma U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca engleriana K.Krause & Dinter
- Albuca etesiogaripensis U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca exigua (Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo, A.P.Dold, M.Pinter & Wetschnig) J.C.Manning
- Albuca fastigiata Dryand.
- Albuca fibrotunicata Gledhill & Oyewole
- Albuca flaccida Jacq.
- Albuca foetida U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca fragrans Jacq.
- Albuca gageoides K.Krause
- Albuca galeata Welw. ex Baker
- Albuca gariepensis J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca gentilii De Wild.
- Albuca gethylloides (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca gildenhuysii (van Jaarsv.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca glandulifera J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca glandulosa Baker
- Albuca glauca Baker
- Albuca glaucifolia (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca goswinii U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca grandiflora (Baker) Mart.-Azorín, M.B.Crespo & M.Á.Alonso
- Albuca grandis J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca hallii U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca hereroensis Schinz
- Albuca hesquaspoortensis U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca heydenrychii van Jaarsv.
- Albuca homblei De Wild.
- Albuca humilis Baker
- Albuca juncifolia Baker
- Albuca karachabpoortensis (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca karasbergensis Glover
- Albuca karooica U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca katangensis De Wild.
- Albuca kirkii (Baker) Brenan
- Albuca kirstenii (J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca knersvlaktensis (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca kundelungensis De Wild.
- Albuca lebaensis (van Jaarsv.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca leucantha U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca littoralis (N.R.Crouch, D.Styles, A.J.Beaumont & Mart.-Azorín) J.C.Manning
- Albuca longipes Baker
- Albuca macowanii Baker
- Albuca malangensis Baker
- Albuca massonii Baker
- Albuca monarchos (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca monophylla Baker
- Albuca myogaloides Welw. ex Baker
- Albuca namaquensis Baker
- Albuca nana Schönland
- Albuca nathoana (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca navicula U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca nelsonii N.E.Br.
- Albuca nigritana (Baker) Troupin
- Albuca obtusa J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca osmynella (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca ovata (Thunb.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca papyracea J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca paradoxa Dinter
- Albuca paucifolia (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca pearsonii (F.M.Leight.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca pendula B.Mathew
- Albuca pendulina (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca pentheri (Zahlbr.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca polyodontula (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca polyphylla Baker
- Albuca prasina (Ker Gawl.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca prolifera J.H.Wilson
- Albuca psammophora (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca pseudobifolia Mart.-Azorín & M.B.Crespo
- Albuca pulchra (Schinz) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca rautanenii (Schinz) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca recurva (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca riebeekkasteelberganula U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca robertsoniana U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca rogersii Schönland
- Albuca roodeae (E.Phillips) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca rupestris Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
- Albuca sabulosa (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca scabrocostata (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca scabromarginata De Wild.
- Albuca schinzii Baker
- Albuca schlechteri Baker
- Albuca schoenlandii Baker
- Albuca secunda (Jacq.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca seineri (Engl. & K.Krause) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca semipedalis Baker
- Albuca setosa Jacq.
- Albuca shawii Baker
- Albuca somersetianum ined.
- Albuca spiralis L.f.
- Albuca stapffii (Schinz) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca steudneri Schweinf. & Engl.
- Albuca strigosula (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca stuetzeliana (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca suaveolens (Jacq.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca subglandulosa (U.Müll.-Doblies & D.Müll.-Doblies) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca subspicata Baker
- Albuca sudanica A.Chev.
- Albuca tenuifolia Baker
- Albuca tenuis Knudtzon
- Albuca thermarum van Jaarsv.
- Albuca tortuosa Baker
- Albuca trachyphylla U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca tubiformis (Oberm.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca unifolia (Retz.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca unifoliata G.D.Rowley
- Albuca variegata De Wild.
- Albuca villosa U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca virens (Lindl.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca viscosa L.f.
- Albuca vittata Ker Gawl.
- Albuca volubilis (H.Perrier) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca watermeyeri (L.Bolus) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt
- Albuca weberlingiorum U.Müll.-Doblies
- Albuca xanthocodon Hilliard & B.L.Burtt
- Albuca yerburyi Ridl.
- Albuca zebrina Baker
- Albuca zenkeri Engl.
More Than Just Slime
While the “slime” association might not be the most glamorous, it’s actually a testament to the plant’s resilience. This mucilaginous sap likely plays a role in water retention, allowing Albuca to thrive in arid environments. It’s a reminder that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places.
Beyond their unique appearance and fascinating adaptations, Albuca also hold cultural significance in some regions. In parts of Africa, certain species are used in traditional medicine. Others are valued for their ornamental beauty and fragrance, adding a touch of the exotic to gardens and homes.
For me, Albuca represent the wonder of the natural world. They challenge our preconceptions and invite us to appreciate the beauty of diversity. Whether you’re a seasoned botanist or simply someone who appreciates the beauty of nature, I encourage you to explore the fascinating world of Albuca. You might just be surprised by what you discover.
