Sparaxis

Life-forms

Classification System: APG IV

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Plantae
Cladus: Angiosperms
Cladus: Monocots
Ordo: Asparagales

Familia: Iridaceae
Subfamilia: Crocoideae
Tribus: Ixieae
Genus: Sparaxis
Species: S. auriculata – S. bulbifera – S. caryophyllacea – S. elegans – S. fragrans – S. galeata – S. grandiflora – S. maculosa – S. metelerkampiae – S. parviflora – S. pillansii – S. roxburghii – S. tricolor – S. variegata – S. villosa
Name

Sparaxis Ker Gawl., 1804.

Typus: non design.

Synonyms

Anactorion Raf., Fl. Tellur. 4: 34. 1838.
× Sparanthera Cif. & Giacom., Nomencl. Fl. Ital. 1: 145. 1950.
Streptanthera Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard. 3: t. 209. 1827.
Synnotia Sweet, Brit. Fl. Gard. 2: t. 150. 1826.

References

Govaerts, R. et al. 2009. Sparaxis in World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the internet. Accessed: 2009 Mar 24. Reference page.
Ker Gawler, J.B. 1804. Ann. Bot. (König & Sims) 1: 225.

Vernacular names
English: wandflower
日本語: スパラクシス属
русский: Спараксис

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.

All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer. Their conspicuous flowers have six tepals, which in most species are equal in size and shape.

Sparaxis bulbifera has flowers from cream to yellow or purple. Sparaxis grandiflora is a similar but larger plant. In cultivation in the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.[2][3] Sparaxis tricolor has bright red flowers with yellow and black centres. Many named hybrid cultivars were bred from S. bulbifera and S. tricolor.

A group of species with asymmetrical flowers marked in mauve and yellow, including Sparaxis variegata and Sparaxis villosa, was formerly treated as the genus Synnotia.

The genus name is derived from the Greek word sparasso, meaning "to tear", and alludes to the shape of the floral bracts.[4]
Species

Sparaxis auriculata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
Sparaxis bulbifera (L.) Ker Gawl.
Sparaxis calcicola Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
Sparaxis caryophyllacea Goldblatt
Sparaxis elegans (Sweet) Goldblatt
Sparaxis fragrans (Jacq.) Ker Gawl.
Sparaxis galeata Ker Gawl.
Sparaxis grandiflora (D.Delaroche) Ker Gawl.
Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. grandiflora (D.Delaroche) Ker Gawl.
Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. acutiloba Goldblatt
Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. fimbriata (Lam.) Goldblatt
Sparaxis grandiflora subsp. violacea (Eckl.) Goldblatt
Sparaxis maculosa Goldblatt
Sparaxis metelerkampiae (L.Bolus) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning
Sparaxis parviflora (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt
Sparaxis pillansii L.Bolus
Sparaxis roxburghii (Baker) Goldblatt
Sparaxis tricolor (Schneev.) Ker Gawl.
Sparaxis variegata (Sweet) Goldblatt
Sparaxis villosa (Burm.f.) Goldblatt

References

"World Checklist of Selected Plant Families". Retrieved April 23, 2016.
"RHS Plantfinder - Sparaxis grandiflora". Retrieved 15 November 2018.
"AGM Plants - Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 99. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2008). The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 181–84. ISBN 0-88192-897-6.