Moraea ochroleuca (Salisb.) Drapiez

Herb 35-75 cm tall. Leaf 6-15 mm wide. Flowers golden yellow with a strong yeasty scent; spring. Perianth segments obovate, 30-40 mm long, overlapping to form a broad cup then spreading in upper half, obtuse. Anthers 5-8 mm long. Syn. Moraea ochroleuca (Salisb.) Drapiez.

Cape Province, S Africa.

H. cookii L. Bolus from Montane region of S Africa is a herb 30-60 cm tall. Leaf 12-25 mm wide. Flowers pale yellow shading darker in centre, slightly sweetscented; spring. Perianth segments oblong, 30-40 mm long, forming a narrow cup around style then loosely spreading, acute, often twisted. Anthers 6-10 mm long. Syn. Moraea cookii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt.

H. elegans (Jacq.) Sweet, Cape Province is a herb 15-30 cm tall. Leaf 5-10 mm wide. Flowers orange shading to yellow in centre, strongly sweet-scented; spring. Perianth segments oblong, 26-38 mm long, forming a small cup around style then loosely spreading, obtuse; outer 3 broader with a large green blotch. Anthers 8-10 mm long. Syn. Moraea elegans Jacq.

Source: Cooke, D. (2005). Iridaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press. (as Homeria ochroleuca)

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Lilianae
order      Asparagales
family       Iridaceae
genus        Moraea Mill.