Loading AI tools
Species of flowering plant From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Babiana stricta, the baboon flower[1] or blue freesia,[2] is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Cape Province, South Africa and naturalized in Australia.[3]
Babiana stricta | |
---|---|
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Iridaceae |
Genus: | Babiana |
Species: | B. stricta |
Binomial name | |
Babiana stricta | |
Growing 10–30 cm (4–12 in) tall by 5 cm (2 in) broad, it is a cormous perennial with hairy leaves 4–12 cm (2–5 in) long.[4] The leaves show linear venation. It is a bulb-like plant that produces upright fans of pleated, slightly hairy, and sword-shaped 6 inch leaves. The leaves emerge in mid-winter and are followed by short spikes with blue or purple cup-shaped flowers in the spring. The flowers usually bloom for 3 or 4 weeks, after that, the leaves and flowers die.[5]
The specific epithet stricta means "erect, upright".[6]
There are many hybrids and cultivars with different colored flowers, usually blue or pink with white additions. In mid- to late spring, each flowering stem produces six or more blooms, each to 5 cm (2 in) across. They are grouped in an inflorescence and often have a pleasant lemon scent. The seeds are black with a hard coat, collected in round seed capsules.[7]
Babiana stricta is tender (USDA Zones 8–10)[8] and in temperate zones is planted in containers and stored in winter at 5 °C (41 °F).[9]
This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.[2]
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Every time you click a link to Wikipedia, Wiktionary or Wikiquote in your browser's search results, it will show the modern Wikiwand interface.
Wikiwand extension is a five stars, simple, with minimum permission required to keep your browsing private, safe and transparent.