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.