Genus: Ixia

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) >  Monocotyledons >  Order: Asparagales >  Family: Iridaceae

Endemic to Western Cape, Northern Cape (?) and Easten Cape, with about 50 species present.

Some species are pollinated by bees others by monkey beetles. The long-tongued flies Moegistorhynchus longirostris (Nemestrinidae) and Philoliche rostrata (Tabanidae) pollinate Ixia paniculata. Philoliche rostrata also pollinates other long-tubed species such as Ixia bellendenii  and Ixia pauciflora (Goldblatt & Manning 2000).

Publications

• de Vos, M.P. 1999. Ixia, Tritonia, Crocosmia, Duthieastrum, Chasmanthe. Flora of southern Africa 7,2, fascicle 1: 1-147.

• Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J.C. 2000. Iridaceae. In: In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 623-638. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.

• Lewis, G.J. 1962. South African Iridaceae. The genus Ixia. Journal of South African Botany 28: 45-195.