Babiana patula

Endemic to South Africa's Western Cape (from Tulbagh to Albertinia), Babiana patula is a cormous plant in the Iridaceae family, native to fynbos vegetation. The corm produces a tuft of the genus's characteristic hairy, pleated leaves, followed in spring by a stem bearing blue to violet flowers, the erect lower tepals marked with black or reddish blotches at the base, and purple, lilac or white anthers. It grows in a sunny position, in well-drained sandy soil, and becomes dormant after flowering, in the dry summer.