Sparaxis tricolor

Sparaxis tricolor
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Sparaxis
Species:
S. tricolor
Binomial name
Sparaxis tricolor
Synonyms
  • Ixia tricolor Schneev.
  • Sparaxis blanda Sweet
  • Sparaxis griffinii Sweet
  • Sparaxis lineata Sweet
  • Sparaxis versicolor Sweet
  • Streptanthera lineata (Sweet) Klatt
  • Streptanthera tricolor (Schneev.) Klatt

Sparaxis tricolor, known by the common names wandflower, harlequin flower, and sparaxis, is a bulb-forming perennial plant that grows in well-drained sunny soil. It gained its name from its colorful flowers which are bi- or tri-coloured with a golden centre and a small ring of brown surrounded by another colour.

The plant is native to the northern Bokkeveld Escarpment in the west-central Cape Provinces of South Africa. It is present in California and Australia as an introduced species after having escaped from garden cultivation.

References

  1. ↑ The Plant List: A Working List of All Plant Species, retrieved 23 April 2016
  2. ↑ NRCS. "Sparaxis tricolor". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 24 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "Sparaxis tricolor (Schneev.) Ker Gawl". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
  4. ↑ "Sparaxis tricolor". Australian Plant Name Index (APNI), IBIS database. Centre for Plant Biodiversity Research, Australian Government, Canberra. Retrieved 18 March 2012.