Leaves to 12 cm long, 2-4 mm wide, lax. Stem 6-15 cm high, unbranched. Flowers pale violet; outer perianth segments spreading, rhomboid, 20-25 mm long, 12-14 mm wide; base white with indigo spots; inner segments lanceolate, acute, 5-7 mm long, with a large darker blotch; spring. Style branches 3 mm long, pale purple, straight. Syn. H. drummondii (R. Graham) Small.
Argentina, Chile.
subsp. caerulea (Herb.) Goldblatt from S USA has taller branched stems.
H. amatorum C.H.Wright from Uruguay has leaves to 20 cm long, 5-9 mm wide. Stem 30-50 cm tall, few-branched. Flowers violet, outer perianth segments bent downwards, obovate, obtuse, 30-40 mm long, with white central stripe and yellow spot on base; inner segments about 15 mm long, spreading, violet; spring. Style branches red-purple, curved downwards.
H. pulchella Sweet from Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay to S Brazil has leaves to 15 cm long, 3-6 mm wide. Stem 8-20 cm high, sometimes 1 branched. Flowers ultramarine to violet; outer perianth segments bent downwards, oblanceolate, 25-32 mm long, about 12 mm wide with white central stripe, spotted darker violet at base; inner perianth segments lanceolate, acute, 7-9 mm long, with a large darker blotch; late spring. Style branches about 8 mm long, red-purple, curved downwards. Syn. Alophia pulchella (Sweet) Benth.
Source: (2005). Iridaceae. In: . Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 5. Flowering plants. Monocotyledons. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.
