List of Iridaceae of South Africa explained

Iridaceae is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants (anthophytes) in the order Asparagales, the asparagoid lilies. The family takes its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide. It includes a number of other well known cultivated plants, such as freesias, gladioli and crocuses. Members of this family are perennial plants, with a bulb, corm or rhizome. The plants grow erect, and have leaves that are generally grass-like, with a sharp central fold.

23,420 species of vascular plant have been recorded in South Africa, making it the sixth most species-rich country in the world and the most species-rich country on the African continent. Of these, 153 species are considered to be threatened. Nine biomes have been described in South Africa: Fynbos, Succulent Karoo, desert, Nama Karoo, grassland, savanna, Albany thickets, the Indian Ocean coastal belt, and forests.

The 2018 South African National Biodiversity Institute's National Biodiversity Assessment plant checklist lists 35,130 taxa in the phyla Anthocerotophyta (hornworts (6)), Anthophyta (flowering plants (33534)), Bryophyta (mosses (685)), Cycadophyta (cycads (42)), Lycopodiophyta (Lycophytes(45)), Marchantiophyta (liverworts (376)), Pinophyta (conifers (33)), and Pteridophyta (cryptogams (408)).

65 genera are represented in the literature. Listed taxa include species, subspecies, varieties, and forms as recorded, some of which have subsequently been allocated to other taxa as synonyms, in which cases the accepted taxon is appended to the listing. Multiple entries under alternative names reflect taxonomic revision over time.

Acidanthera

Genus Acidanthera:

Afrosolen

Genus Afrosolen:

Agretta

Genus Agretta:

Anisanthus

Genus Anisanthus:

Anomatheca

Genus Anomatheca:

Antholyza

Genus Antholyza:

Aristea

Genus Aristea:

Babiana

Genus Babiana:

Barnardiella

Genus Barnardiella:

Belamcanda

Genus Belamcanda:

Bobartia

Genus Bobartia:

Chasmanthe

Genus Chasmanthe:

Codonorhiza

Genus Codonorhiza:

Crocosmia

Genus Crocosmia:

Devia

Genus Devia:

Dierama

Genus Dierama:

Dietes

Genus Dietes:

Duthiastrum

Genus Duthiastrum:

Ferraria

Genus Ferraria:

Freesia

Genus Freesia:

Galaxia

Genus Galaxia:

Geissorhiza

Genus Geissorhiza:

Gladiolus

Genus Gladiolus:

Gynandriris

Genus Gynandriris:

Hesperantha

Genus Hesperantha:

Hexaglottis

Genus Hexaglottis:

Homeria

Genus Homeria:

Homoglossum

Genus Homoglossum:

Huouttuynia

Genus Houttuynia:

Hyalis

Genus Hyalis:

Iris

Genus Iris:

Ixia

Genus Ixia:

Klattia

Genus Klattia:

Lapeirousia

Genus Lapeirousia:

Melasphaerula

Genus Melasphaerula:

Meristostigma

Genus Meristostigma:

Micranthus

Genus Micranthus:

Montbretia

Genus Montbretia:

Moraea

Genus Moraea:

Morphixia

Genus Morphixia:

Nivenia

Genus Nivenia:

Nymanina

Genus Nymanina:

Ovieda

Genus Ovieda:

Peyrousia

Genus Peyrousia:

Pillansia

Genus Pillansia:

Psilosiphon

Genus Psilosiphon:

Radinosiphon

Genus Radinosiphon:

Rheome

Genus Rheome:

Roggeveldia

Genus Roggeveldia:

Romulea

Genus Romulea:

Schizorhiza

Genus Schizorhiza:

Schizostylis

Genus Schizostylis:

Sisyrinchium

Genus Sisyrinchium:

Sophronia

Genus Sophronia:

Sparaxis

Genus Sparaxis:

Syringodea

Genus Syringodea:

Thereianthus

Genus Thereianthus:

Tritonia

Genus Tritonia:

Tritoniopsis

Genus Tritoniopsis:

Tritonixia

Genus Tritonixia:

Waitzia

Genus Waitzia:

Watsonia

Genus Watsonia:

Witsenia

Genus Witsenia:

Wuerthia

Genus Wuerthia:

Xenoscapa

Genus Xenoscapa: