Sparaxis ssp 1 ??

The exact species of this Sparaxis could not be confirmed with certainty (accession no. 1 of the cultivated stock); the description is therefore given at genus level. Sparaxis, the harlequin flowers, is a small genus of Iridaceae with around a dozen species, endemic to the Cape Province of South Africa. Cormous perennials, they grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring, then survive underground as dormant corms through summer. The flowers, generally unscented but colourful, have six roughly equal tepals, often marked with a contrasting dark blotch at the base. In the wild they occur on sandy or rocky low-altitude slopes. Cultivation requires well-drained soil and a sunny position.