Dietes | |
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Dietes grandiflora | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Iridaceae |
Subfamily: | Iridoideae |
Tribe: | Irideae |
Genus: | Dietes Salisb. ex Klatt |
Type species | |
Dietes compressa (Linnaeus fil.) Klatt | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Dietes is a genus of six rhizomatous plant species of the iris family Iridaceae, first described collectively in 1866. Common names for the different species include wood iris, fortnight lily, African iris, Japanese iris and butterfly iris. Globally, these common names may differ from region to region, and may also apply to one or more species within Dietes.
Most of the Dietes are endemic to southern and central Africa; one ( Dietes robinsoniana ) is native to Lord Howe Island, off the eastern Pacific coast of Australia. A few others—primarily Dietes bicolor , D. grandiflora and D. iridioides—have become popular gardening and landscaping plants around the world, and have thus inevitably naturalised in areas outside of their natural range, including across much of the Americas, from the United States (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina, Southern California and the Bay Area, Texas) through Mexico and much of Central and South America, Bermuda, the Bahamas, Hispaniola and Jamaica. [1] Elsewhere, these species have been documented in the Azores, the Canary Islands, Madeira, southern France, Spain, Portugal, Sicily, Israel, Istanbul, Palestine, Madagascar, Mauritius, Réunion, St. Helena, Hong Kong, Java (Indonesia), Sikkim (India), Singapore, Taiwan, and Tokyo, Japan. They are also found in Australia (near Adelaide and Perth, and much of New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania, and Victoria), New Caledonia and New Zealand. [2]
These plants were formerly placed in the genus Moraea , but were reclassified because they are rhizomatous. Like Moraea, they differ from Iris in having flowers with six free tepals that are not joined into a tube at their bases.
Some references mention the species Dietes vegeta or D. vegeta variegata, springing from some confusion with Moraea vegata (which grows from a corm, not a rhizome). The name D. vegeta is commonly misapplied to both D. grandiflora or D. iridioides.
The genus name is derived from the Greek words di-, meaning "two", and etes, meaning "affinities". [3]
Dietes bicolor has cream or yellow flowers. D. grandiflora and D. iridioides both have white flowers marked with yellow and violet, and appear similar in photographs, but they are quite different: those of grandiflora are much larger, last three days, and have dark spots at the base of the outer tepals, while those of iridioides are small, last only one day, and lack the spots. D. grandiflora is also a larger plant overall.
Sparaxis is a genus of flowering plants called the harlequin flowers. It belongs to the iris family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa.
Freesia is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1866 by Christian Friedrich Ecklon (1886) and named after the German botanist and medical practitioner, Friedrich Freese (1795–1876). It is native to the eastern side of southern Africa, from Kenya south to South Africa, most species being found in Cape Provinces. Species of the former genus Anomatheca are now included in Freesia. The plants commonly known as "freesias", with fragrant funnel-shaped flowers, are cultivated hybrids of a number of Freesia species. Some other species are also grown as ornamental plants.
Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises. It has a nearly global distribution, with 69 accepted genera with a total of c. 2500 species. It includes a number of economically important cultivated plants, such as species of Freesia, Gladiolus, and Crocus, as well as the crop saffron.
Gladiolus is a genus of perennial cormous flowering plants in the iris family (Iridaceae).
Crocosmia, also known as montbretia, is a small genus of flowering plants in the iris family, Iridaceae. It is native to the grasslands of southern and eastern Africa, ranging from South Africa to Sudan. One species is endemic to Madagascar.
Diplarrena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The two species are endemic to Australia. The name is from Greek diploos ("double") and arren ("male"); plants in the genus have only two functional stamens, while all other Iridaceae have three. The name is often misspelled Diplarrhena, an error that began with George Bentham's Flora Australiensis in 1873.
Chasmanthe is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described in 1932. It is endemic to Cape Province in South Africa. It is widely grown as an ornamental and naturalized in various locations.
Olsynium is a genus of summer-dormant rhizomatous perennial flowering plants in the iris family Iridaceae, native to sunny hillsides in South America and western North America.
Dietes iridioides, commonly named African iris, fortnight lily, and morea iris, is a species of plant in the family Iridaceae that is native to Southern Africa.
Moraea, the Cape tulips, is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1758. The group is widespread across Africa, the Mediterranean, and central and southwestern Asia. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert More.
Aristea is a genus of evergreen, perennial and rhizomatous species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described in 1789. The genus is distributed in tropical and southern Africa, as well as Madagascar. The genus name is derived from the Greek word arista, meaning "awn".
Dietes bicolor, the African iris, fortnight lily or yellow wild iris, is a clump-forming rhizomatous perennial plant with long sword-like evergreen pale green leaves, growing from multiple fans at the base of the clump. This species belongs to the iris family Iridaceae. It can form large clumps if left undisturbed for years. It is commonly cultivated in its native South Africa, where it is often used in public gardens, beautification of commercial premises and along roadsides. It is also cultivated in mild temperate zones elsewhere.
Dietes grandiflora, commonly named fortnight lily, large wild iris, African iris or fairy iris, is a rhizomatous perennial plant of the family Iridaceae with long, rigid, sword-like green leaves. This species is common in horticulture in its native South Africa, where it is often used in public gardens, beautification of commercial premises and along roadsides.
Moraea bituminosa is a species of the genus Moraea in family Iridaceae.
Hesperantha is a genus of cormous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words hesperos, meaning "evening", and anthos, meaning "flower".
Thereianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1941. The entire genus is endemic to Cape Province in South Africa.
Albuca is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae. The genus is distributed mainly in southern and eastern Africa, with some species occurring in northern Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Plants of the genus are known commonly as slime lilies.
Moraea aristata is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is referred to by the common names blue-eyed uintjie or Blouooguintjie in Afrikaans.It is endemic to the city of Cape Town and is considered to be critically endangered.
Eucomis bicolor, the variegated pineapple lily or just pineapple lily, is a bulbous species of flowering plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae, native to Southern Africa. The pale green, purple-margined flowers are arranged in a spike (raceme), topped by a "head" of green leaflike bracts. It is cultivated as an ornamental bulbous plant, although its flowers have an unpleasant smell, attractive to the main pollinators, flies.