Ixia

Ixia is a genus in the Iridaceae family with species mainly from the western, southwestern, and southern winter-rainfall areas of the northern, western and eastern Cape Provinces of South Africa. An older reference about Ixia is De Vos and Goldblatt, 1999. Peter Goldblatt and John Manning have updated the taxonomy of this genus since then. In 2008 they wrote about the Ixia rapunculoides complex; in 2011 they covered sections Hyalis and Morphixia; and in 2012 they covered section Dichone. In 2015 along with N.A. Helme they published new species and taxonomic notes. In that paper they noted at the time that there were about 98 species. Another resource is the web page Bill Richardson from Australia has created for this genus, but it does not reflect the changed taxonomy after the 1999 paper.

Many Ixia species can be easy to grow in a Mediterranean climate garden, and with their bright colors in mid-to-late spring, they're a welcome sight. Corms are planted in autumn in a free-draining potting mix in a sunny position. Most flowers only open on sunny days. Seed is also sown in autumn, the earlier in the season the better, to let them have as long a growing time as possible after germination before drying them off. Most species will multiply by producing new cormlets around the main corm and you can separate these in the dormant summer period. You can store them completely dry and replant the next autumn period.


For photos and information of species select the appropriate wiki page:

or click on the name in the table below.


Ixia species
Ixia abbreviata, Michael Mace [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia abbreviata
Ixia brunneobractea, Nieuwoudtville, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia brunneobractea
Ixia calendulacea, Rachel Saunders [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia calendulacea
Ixia campanulata, Douglas Euston-Brown, iNaturalist, CC BY-SA [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia campanulata
Ixia capillaris, Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia capillaris
Ixia contorta, Rod Saunders [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia contorta
Ixia curta, Darling, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia curta
Ixia curvata, Alan Horstmann [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia curvata
Ixia divaricata, Nick Helme, iNaturalist, CC BY-SA [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia divaricata
Ixia dubia, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia dubia
Ixia flexuosa, Stormsvei, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia flexuosa
Ixia dubia orange, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
*Ixia frederickii
Ixia gloriosa, Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia gloriosa
Ixia helmei, iNaturalist, Nick Helme, CC BY-SA [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia helmei
Ixia hybrids, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia hybrids
Ixia latifolia, Alan Horstmann [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia latifolia
Ixia longituba, Caledon, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia longituba
Ixia abbreviata, Bob Rutemoeller [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
*Ixia lutea
Ixia maculata, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia maculata
Ixia macrocarpa, Richard Adcock, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia macrocarpa
Ixia marginifolia, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia marginifolia
Ixia metelerkampiae, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia metelerkampiae
Ixia micrandra,  Bredasdorp, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia micrandra
Ixia monadelpha, Darling, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia monadelpha
Ixia mostertii, Gordon Summerfield [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia mostertii
Ixia odorata, Rod Saunders [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia odorata
Ixia orientalis, Cathcart, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia orientalis
Ixia paniculata, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia paniculata
Ixia parva, kevinjolliffe, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia parva
Ixia polystachya, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia polystachya
Ixia pumilio, iNaturalist, Ismail Ebrahim, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia pumilio
Ixia purpureorosea, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia purpureorosea
Ixia ramulosa, Namaqualand, Mary Sue Ittner [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia ramulosa
Ixia rapunculoides, Alan Horstmann [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia rapunculoides
Ixia scillaris, Napier, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia scillaris
Ixia sobolifera ssp. albiflora, Jan and Anne Lise Schutte-Vlok [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia sobolifera
Ixia stricta, Bredasdorp, Cameron McMaster [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia stricta
Ixia tenuifolia, iNaturalist, Ismail Ebrahim, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia tenuifolia
Ixia thomasiae, Rod Saunders [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia thomasiae
Ixia trifolia, Alan Horstmann [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia trifolia
Ixia versicolor, Corrie du Toit, iNaturalist, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia vinacea
Ixia vinacea, iNaturalist, Ismail Ebrahim, CC BY-NC [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia versicolor
Ixia viridiflora, Sheila Burrow [Shift+click to enlarge, Click to go to wiki entry]
Ixia viridiflora
* = synonym

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