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, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide. It includes a number of other well known cultivated plants, such as freesias, gladioli and crocuses.
Geosiris is a genus in the flowering plant family Iridaceae, first described in 1894. It was thought for many years to contain only one species, Geosiris aphylla, endemic to Madagascar. But then in 2010, a second species was described, Geosiris albiflora, from Mayotte Island in the Indian Ocean northwest of Madagascar.
Babiana is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae composed of about 80 recognized species. The majority of these species are endemic to the Cape Provinces of South Africa, especially Namaqualand, as well Namibia, Botswana, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Ferraria is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar to rotting meat and are pollinated by flies, while others have a pleasant scent. The genus name is a tribute to Italian Jesuit Botanist and botanical artist Giovanni Baptista Ferrari.
Lumangwe Falls on the Kalungwishi River in northern Zambia is the largest waterfall wholly within the country, with a height of 30-40 m and a width of 100-160 m. It is a block-type waterfall located between the Luapula and Northern Provinces. The main bedrock is interbedded quartzite with layers of red siltstone.
Tritonia is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family first described as a genus in 1802. They are naturally distributed across southern Africa, with a high concentration of species in Cape Province of western South Africa. The genus is closely related to the genus Ixia.
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".
Crocoideae is one of the major subfamilies in the family Iridaceae.
Bobartia is a genus of evergreen, perennial and bulbous plants in the iris family (Iridaceae). The genus comprises 15 species distributed in South Africa. The genus name is a tribute to German botanist Jakob Bobart.
Calydorea is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the family Iridaceae native to Mexico and South America. The plants in the genus are small with tunicated bulbs. The flowers are light blue, violet, white, or yellow, depending on the species, of which there are around twenty. Taxonomists considered that the already known genera Salpingostylis, Cardiostigma, Catila and Itysa are not enough different from each other to justify their taxonomic segregation and, for this reason, all of them are now included in Calydorea.
Cyanixia is a genus of plants in the Iridaceae, first described in 2003. It contains only one known species, Cyanixia socotrana, a perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plant species endemic to the Island of Socotra in the Indian Ocean, part of the Republic of Yemen.
Cobana is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the family Iridaceae. A monotypic genus, it contains a single species, Cobana guatemalensis, distributed in Honduras and Guatemala.
Ennealophus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the family Iridaceae. It consists in five species distributed from Ecuador to Northern Brazil and Northwest Argentina. The genus name is derived from the Greek words ennea, meaning "nine", and lophus, meaning "crest".
Xenoscapa is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the family Iridaceae. It consists of only three species distributed in Africa, and is closely related to the genera Freesia. The genus name is derived from the Greek words xenos, meaning "strange", and scapa, meaning "flowering stem".
Savannosiphon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a new species in 1980. It contains only one known species, Savannosiphon euryphylla, native to tropical Africa.
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.
Witsenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1782. There is only one known species, Witsenia marua, endemic to Cape Province in western South Africa.
Peter Goldblatt is a South African botanist, working principally in the United States.
Romulea tortuosa is a herbaceous perennial geophyte in the family Iridaceae native to South Africa. It has a small corm in the soil, a few prostrate coiling leaves, and fragrant, trimerous yellow flowers, sometimes with six brown blotches on the inside near the bottom of the flower.
