Greek orthros – morning, anthos – flower.
Perennial evergreen tufted herbs with short rhizomes. Leaves basal, erect, linear, without midveins, acute. Inflorescence a panicle. Spathes green, boat-shaped. Flowers blue, radially symmetrical, fugitive, almost sessile. Perianth segments equal, spreading, free or very shortly joined. Stamens free or joined at bases only. Anthers yellow. Style 3-branched from base, linear, spreading almost horizontally between the stamens.
9 species in Australia and tropical America.
Grass-like tussocks with panicles of blue flowers.
Seed.
Cooke (1986), Henrich & Goldblatt (1987).
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.