Ixia

Ixia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Subfamily:	Ixioideae
Tribe:	Ixieae
Genus:	Ixia L.
Type species
Ixia polystachya L.
Species
See text

The genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include sword-like leaves and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained soil. The popular corn lily has specific, not very intense fragrance. It is often visited by many insects such as bees. The Ixia are also used sometimes as ornamental plants.

The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek ἰξία (ixia) ( = χαμαιλέων λευκός, (chamaeleon leukos)), the pine thistle, Carlina gummifera, an unrelated plant in the Asteraceae (daisy) family.

Species

The genus Ixia includes the following species:

• Ixia aurea J. C. Manning & Goldblatt
• Ixia acaulis Goldblatt & J. C. Manning
• Ixia brevituba G.J. Lewis
• Ixia brunneobractea G.J. Lewis
• Ixia campanulata Houtt.
• Ixia capillaris L. f.
• Ixia cochlearis G.J. Lewis
• Ixia collina Goldbl. & Snijman
• Ixia curta Andr
• Ixia curvata G.J. Lewis
• Ixia dubia Vent.
• Ixia erubescens Goldbl.
• Ixia esterhuyseniae De Vos
• Ixia flexuosa L.
• Ixia frederickii De Vos
• Ixia fucata
  • Ixia fucata Ker-Gawl, var. filifolia G.J. Lewis
  • Ixia fucata Ker-Gawl. var. fucata
• Ixia gloriosa G.J Lewis
• Ixia latifolia
  • Ixia latifolia Delaroche var. angustifolia G.J. Lewis
  • Ixia latifolia Delaroche var. curviramosa G.J. Lewis
  • Ixia latifolia Delaroche var. latifolia
  • Ixia latifolia Delaroche var. parviflora G.J. Lewis
  • Ixia latifolia Delaroche var. ramulosa G.J. Lewis
• Ixia leipoldtii G.J. Lewis
• Ixia leucantha Jacq.
• Ixia longituba N.E.Br.
  • Ixia longituba N. E. Br. var. bellendenii R. C. Foster
  • Ixia longituba N. E. Br. var. longituba
• Ixia lutea Eckl. var. lutea
• Ixia lutea Eckl. var. ovata (Andr.) B. Nord
• Ixia maculata
  • Ixia maculata L. var. fusco-citrina (Desf.ex DC) G.J. Lewis
  • Ixia maculata L. var. intermedia G.J. Lewis
  • Ixia maculata L. var. maculata
• Ixia marginifolia (Salisb) G.J Lewis
• Ixia metelerkampiae L. Bol.
• Ixia micranda
  • Ixia micranda Bak. var. confusa G.J Lewis
  • Ixia micranda Bak. var. micranda
  • Ixia micranda Bak. var. minor G.J Lewis
• Ixia monadelpha Delaroche
• Ixia mostertii De Vos
• Ixia odorata Ker-Gawl var. hesperanthoides G.J Lewis
• Ixia odorata Ker-Gawl var. odorata
• Ixia orientalis L.Bol.
• Ixia paniculata Delaroche
• Ixia patens
  • Ixia patensAit. var. linearifolia G.J Lewis
  • Ixia patens Ait var. patens
• Ixia pauciflora G.J Lewis
• Ixia polystachya
  • Ixia polystachya L. var. crassifolia G.J Lewis
  • Ixia polystachya L. var. lutea (Ker-Gawl) G.J Lewis
  • Ixia polystachya M. De Vos var. longistylus var. nova
  • Ixia polystachya L. var. polystachya
• Ixia pumilio Goldbl. & Snijman
• Ixia purpureorosea G. J Lewis
• Ixia rapunculoides
  • Ixia rapunculoides Del. var. flaccida G.J Lewis
  • Ixia rapuncuolides Del. var. namaquana (L.Bol.) G. J Lewis
  • Ixia rapunculoides Del. var. rapunculoides
  • Ixia rapunculoides Del. var. rigida G. J Lewis
  • Ixia rapunculoides Del. var. robusta G.J Lewis
  • Ixia rapunculoides Del. var subpendula G.J. Lewis
• Ixia rouxii G.J Lewis
• Ixia scillaris L. var. scillaris
• Ixia scillaris L. var. subundulata G.J Lewis
• Ixia splendida G.J. Lewis
• Ixia stohriae L. Bol.
• Ixia stolonifera G.J Lewis
• Ixia stricta (Eckl. ex Klatt) G. J Lewis
• Ixia tenuifolia Vahl.
• Ixia thomasiae Goldblo.
• Ixia trifolia G. J Lewis FP
• Ixia trinervata (Bak.) G. J Lewis
• Ixia vanzijliae L. Bol.
• Ixia versicolor G.J Lewis
• Ixia vinacea G. J Lewis
• Ixia viridiflora Lam.
  • Ixia viridiflora Lam. var minor De Vos
  • Ixia viridiflora Lam. var viridflora Thunb.

References

• Pink, A. (2004). Gardening for the Million. Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.