Drimia is a genus in the Hyacinthaceae family (or expanded Asparagaceae family) of bulbous plants that are deciduous or rarely evergreen. Bulbs can be small or large, subterranean or growing on or close to the ground. The one or more leaves are often dry at flowering. In 2004 a number of genera were included in this genus once separated as other genera. Some of these genera were formerly monotypic with species formerly included in other genera, like Ledurgia, Boosia, Geschollia and a couple had two species, like Ebertia and Rhadamanthopsis. Others with more species that were included were Urginavia, Indurgia and Thuranthos. They included the Mediterranean, North African and western Asiatic species formerly in Urginea in Drimia but not everyone agrees. African genera once separated as Litanthus, Rhadamanthus, Schizobasis and Tenicroa are now included in Drimia. These plants are common in seasonally dry or semi-arid regions and many of them flower in late spring or summer regardless of the rainfall pattern.

Drimia maritima, synonymously known as Urginea maritima, is found in rocky coastal habitats around the Mediterranean Basin. This species has been used as a medicinal plant since ancient times. This plant grows from a large bulb which can be up to 20 cm wide and weigh as much as 1 kg. Quite a few bulbs may grow in a clump and are typically just beneath the surface of the soil. In the spring, each bulb produces a rosette of around ten leaves each that are easily up to a meter long. They are dark green in colour and quite leathery in texture. They die away by autumn, when the bulb produces a tall, 1.5m to 2m, narrow raceme of attractive white flowers.