Ixioideae
Encyclopedia
Crocoideae is one of the major subfamilies in the Iridaceae
family.
It contains plants which are wildly distributed in the Old world
, mainly in Africa
, but there are species like some members of the genera Romulea
and Gladiolus
which are native to Europe
and Asia
. Some examples are Romulea bulbocodium
, Romulea columnae, Gladiolus italicus
and others.
Like the whole Iridaceae
family, the members of the subfamily has the typical sword-shaped leaves. The rootstock is usually a corm
. The blooms which sometimes has scent are collected in inflorescence. They contains six tepal
s. The nectar is produced mostly in the base of the bloom from glands of the ovary. This is the place where the flower forms tube-like end. In some species there is no such end and the plant provides pollen to its pollinator.
The ovary is 3-locular. It contains many seeds with different vision in the different members. Sometimes the seed has fine, delicate coat like in Gladiolus
and in other cases It's black and with hard coat like in Babiana
. It's often pellet-like, sometimes circular or semi-circular.
Many species of this group are among the best-known ornamental plant
s in the gardens or in pots. Some good examples are Freesia
, Ixia
, Crocosmia
, Gladiolus
and others popular flowers.
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...
family.
It contains plants which are wildly distributed in the Old world
Old World
The Old World consists of those parts of the world known to classical antiquity and the European Middle Ages. It is used in the context of, and contrast with, the "New World" ....
, mainly in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
, but there are species like some members of the genera Romulea
Romulea
Romulea is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family distributed in Europe, the Mediterranean, and South Africa. The genus name refers to the legendary Rome founder Romulus, and alludes to the abundance of one of the species in the Roman countryside.Some of the species:*...
and Gladiolus
Gladiolus
Gladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
which are native to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. Some examples are Romulea bulbocodium
Romulea bulbocodium
Romulea bulbocodium is one of the best-known species from the genus Romulea. The plant, a member of the Iridaceae family, is native to Europe and mainly the Mediterranean region. It has many varieties and is occasionally used as ornamental plant....
, Romulea columnae, Gladiolus italicus
Gladiolus italicus
Gladiolus italicus is a species of gladiolus known by the common names Italian gladiolus, field gladiolus, and common sword-lily....
and others.
Like the whole Iridaceae
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...
family, the members of the subfamily has the typical sword-shaped leaves. The rootstock is usually a corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
. The blooms which sometimes has scent are collected in inflorescence. They contains six tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s. The nectar is produced mostly in the base of the bloom from glands of the ovary. This is the place where the flower forms tube-like end. In some species there is no such end and the plant provides pollen to its pollinator.
The ovary is 3-locular. It contains many seeds with different vision in the different members. Sometimes the seed has fine, delicate coat like in Gladiolus
Gladiolus
Gladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
and in other cases It's black and with hard coat like in Babiana
Babiana
Babiana Ker Gawler is a genus of flowering plants in the Family Iridaceae composed of about 80 species. Most of these species are found in the southwestern Cape of Africa, with the remainder distributed in Namaqualand and Northern Cape Province...
. It's often pellet-like, sometimes circular or semi-circular.
Many species of this group are among the best-known ornamental plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
s in the gardens or in pots. Some good examples are Freesia
Freesia
Freesia Ecklon ex Klatt is a genus of 14–16 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to Africa. Of the 14 species, 12 are native to Cape Province, South Africa, the remaining two to tropical Africa, one species extending north of the equator to Sudan.The genus was named in honor...
, Ixia
Ixia
The genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained...
, Crocosmia
Crocosmia
Crocosmia is a small perennial genus in the iris family Iridaceae, native to the grasslands of Cape Floristic Region, South Africa.They can be evergreen or deciduous perennial herbs, that grow from basal underground corms. The basal, alternate leaves are cauline and distichous...
, Gladiolus
Gladiolus
Gladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
and others popular flowers.
Genera
- AfrocrocusAfrocrocusAfrocrocus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Afrocrocus unifolius. The genus name alludes to the African distribution and its resembles to the genus Crocus....
- BabianaBabianaBabiana Ker Gawler is a genus of flowering plants in the Family Iridaceae composed of about 80 species. Most of these species are found in the southwestern Cape of Africa, with the remainder distributed in Namaqualand and Northern Cape Province...
- ChasmantheChasmantheChasmanthe is a genus of flowering plants in the iris familywhich originate from South Africa. In their native habitat the flowers are pollinated by sunbirds...
- CrocosmiaCrocosmiaCrocosmia is a small perennial genus in the iris family Iridaceae, native to the grasslands of Cape Floristic Region, South Africa.They can be evergreen or deciduous perennial herbs, that grow from basal underground corms. The basal, alternate leaves are cauline and distichous...
- CrocusCrocusCrocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
- Cyanixia
- DeviaDevia (plant)Devia is a monotypic genus of perennial, herbaceous, and bulbous plants in the Iris family , containing the single species Devia xeromorpha. It is a local endemic of the Roggeveld Escarpment in the western Karoo, South Africa, closely related to the southern and tropical African Crocosmia, a...
- DieramaDieramaDierama is a genus in the Iridaceae. Its common names are not stably established, but various species are loosely known by names such as as Fairy's Fishing Rods, Fairy's Wands, Fairy Bells, Wedding Bells, Hairbells, Harebells...
- DuthieastrumDuthieastrumDuthieastrum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name combines the name of South African botanist Augusta Vera Duthie, and the Grrek word aster, meaning "star"....
- FreesiaFreesiaFreesia Ecklon ex Klatt is a genus of 14–16 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to Africa. Of the 14 species, 12 are native to Cape Province, South Africa, the remaining two to tropical Africa, one species extending north of the equator to Sudan.The genus was named in honor...
- GeissorhizaGeissorhizaGeissorhiza is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family which originate from South Africa. The genus name is derived from the Greek words geisson, meaning "tile", and rhizon, meaning "root".Here are some of them:...
- GladiolusGladiolusGladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
- HesperanthaHesperanthaHesperantha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words hesperos, meaning "evening", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
- IxiaIxiaThe genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained...
- Lapeirousia
- MelasphaerulaMelasphaerulaMelasphaerula is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words melas, meaning "black", and sphaerulos, meaning "small sphere"....
- MicranthusMicranthusMicranthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words micro, meaning "small", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
- PillansiaPillansiaPillansia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the South African botanist Neville Stuart Pillans, who brought the species to the attention of Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus....
- RomuleaRomuleaRomulea is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family distributed in Europe, the Mediterranean, and South Africa. The genus name refers to the legendary Rome founder Romulus, and alludes to the abundance of one of the species in the Roman countryside.Some of the species:*...
- SparaxisSparaxisSparaxis is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa.All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer...
- SavannosiphonSavannosiphonSavannosiphon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name, derived from the word savanna and the Greek word siphon alludes to its habitat and the structure of its perianth tube....
- SyringodeaSyringodeaSyringodea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek word syrinx, meaning "pipe", and alludes to the long perianth tube....
- ThereianthusThereianthusThereianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words thereios, meaning "summer", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
- TritoniaTritonia (plant)Tritonia is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family with around 28 species. They are wildly distributed mainly in South Africa and are close related to the genus Ixia. Small Bulbous plant up to 8 cm. Appears in great numbers in spring. Leaves fan-Shaped...
- TritoniopsisTritoniopsisTritoniopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name refers to the African genus Trionia and is combined with the Greek word opsis, meaning "look-alike"....
- XenoscapaXenoscapaXenoscapa is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It consists of only two species distributed in Africa, and closely related to the genera Freesia and Anomatheca. The genus name is derived from the Greek words xenos, meaning "strange", and scapa, meaning...
- WatsoniaWatsonia (plant)Watsonia is a genus of plants in the iris family, subfamily Crocoideae, native to South Africa. The genus is named after Sir William Watson, an 18th century British botanist....
- ZygotritoniaZygotritoniaZygotritonia is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It contains four species distributed in Tropical Africa...