Trachyandra is placed in the family Xanthorrhoeaceae, subfamily Asphodeloideae. The name Trachyandra is derived from the Greek words, trachy, meaning rough, and andro, meaning male, and refers to the scabrid (hairy) filaments of the stamens. There are ± 55 species that mainly occur in southern Africa, particularly the Western Cape, but some species extend into tropical Africa as far as Somalia. They are mostly perennial bulbous plants.

Trachyandra smalliana is a South African indigenous species from the Eastern Cape and KwaZulu-Natal Provinces. It grows to 50 cm tall with fine leaves. It bears delicate white flowers in compact spikes, similar to a Bulbinella. This is a very pretty species.