Ixia sp ? ‘Porterville’

This plant is registered under an uncertain identification ("sp? 'Porterville'"), the name of the locality (Porterville, Western Cape) serving as a label in the absence of a confirmed species. Native to the winter-rainfall region of the Cape, in South Africa, the genus Ixia comprises nearly 90 to 100 cormous species of Iridaceae. The plants have sword-shaped leaves and long slender stems bearing spikes of star-shaped flowers, often brightly coloured and marked with a dark centre, with a thread-like perianth tube of variable length. They flower in spring and require well-drained soil, a sunny position and a dry rest in summer. Species not confirmed; description at genus level.