Moraea viscaria

Moraea viscaria
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Subfamily:	Iridoideae
Tribe:	Irideae
Genus:	Moraea
Species:	M. viscaria
Binomial name
Moraea viscaria Ker Gawl.

Moraea viscaria is the type species of the genus of Moraea in the Iridaceae that is named after the sticky secretion on the stem and branches.

It is a cormous geophyte 20 – 45 cm in height with white flowers. The outer tepals are 15 – 23 mm long and inner tepals 14 – 20 mm long. The flower is sweetly scented and pollen bright red. The stem is branched and sticky, dry at flowering. It flowers from October to December.

Its habitat is reported as sandy or stony flats in the Western Cape between Saldanha in the west and Cape Agulhas in the east.

References

Goldblatt: The Moraeas of Southern Africa. Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardent Vol.14 CTP Book Printers Cape 1986. ISBN 0-620-09974-7