Freesia laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

False freesia (en)

Species

Angiosperms > Asparagales > Iridaceae > Freesia

Characteristics

Plants (150-)200-300(-500) mm high. Corm globose-conical, 10-15 mm diam., with cormlets at base; tunics of fine-textured fibres. Stem erect, usually simple. Leaves 6 to 9, suberect, usually shortly overtopping spike, narrowly lanceolate, (40-)100-400 x 4-10(-15) mm, acute to acuminate, soft-textured with midrib moderately thickened. Spike slightly or moderately deflexed, (1)2 to 6(-14)-flowered; bracts ovate, (4-)5-8(-14) mm long, acute, soft-textured, green with reddish brown tips, inner slightly shorter. Flowers 25-40 mm long, red to pink, lilac or pale blue, rarely white, base of lower 3 tepals each with dark red, purple or violet blotch, unscented; perianth tube cylindric, expanded slightly near apex, (20-)25-35(-40) mm long, ± curved in upper 4 mm; tepals subequal but inner 3 broader, uppermost ± reflexed, others spreading, elliptic to obovate, 9-15 x 4-8 mm. Filaments erect, mostly 3-5 mm long, inserted 2 mm below mouth of tube, exserted 1-3 mm; anthers ± 4 mm long. Style dividing between base and apex of anthers. Capsules oblong-ovoid, 10-12(-15) x 8-10 mm, ± papillate. Seeds subglobose with highly inflated raphe, 2.5-3.0 mm diam., smooth and glossy, bright red when fresh but soon darkening to reddish brown.
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Plants 20-35 cm. high.. Corms conical, round based, ± 1 cm. diameter, with tunics of fine reticulate fibres.. Foliage leaves several, narrowly lanceolate, soft textured, usually exceeding the spike.. Stem erect, usually unbranched.. Spike nearly horizontal, secund, 2­-6-flowered; outer bracts 6-8(-13) mm. long, green, becoming membranous above, often dark brown apically, inner bracts slightly smaller than the outer, bifid.. Flowers zygomorphic, pink to red, or pale blue to white, with either darker red or blue-violet marks at the base of the lower 3 tepals; perianth-tube erect, slender, widening slightly at the apex, 1.8-3.3 cm. long; tepals subequal, broadly ovate to oblong 9-13 cm. long, held at right-angles to the tube.. Filaments unilateral and arcuate, exserted from the tube for 1.5-2 mm.; anthers 3-4 mm. long.. Style dividing between the base and middle of the anthers; branches ± 2.5 mm. long, deeply forked, often tangled among the anthers.. Capsules 9-12 mm. long, 8-10 mm. wide, nearly smooth to lightly papillose in the upper half.. Fig. 8/5.
Plants 20–35 cm. Stems erect or inclined, flexed outward below base of spike, usually branched, smooth. Leaves several, erect; blades usually shortly exceeding spike. Spike nearly horizontal, 2–6-flowered; spathes 6–8(–13) mm, outer slightly larger than inner, becoming membranous above, apex often dark brown, bifid. Flowers unscented, hypocrateriform; perianth tube cylindric, widening slightly at apex, 18–33 mm; tepals spreading at right angle to tube, pink to red [pale blue to white] with dark red [blue-violet] marks at base of lower 3 tepals, ovate to oblong, 9–13 mm; filaments exserted 1.5–2 mm from tube; anthers 3–4 mm; style branching between base and middle of anthers; branches ca. 2.5 mm, often tangled among anthers. Capsules 9–12 × 9–10 mm, sparsely papillose. Seeds 2–3 mm diam.
Perennial herb, geophyte, 0.1-0.3 m high; corm conical, 10 mm in diam.; stem erect, unbranched. Leaves lanceolate, usually exceeding spike. Bracts with dark brown apex; outer bracts bifid. Inflorescence a 2-6-flowered spike, horizontal, secund; perianth zygomorphic, pink to red or pale blue to white; tube erect, slender, widening at apex; tepals unequal, held at right angles to tube. Stamens unilateral, arcuate; anthers 3-4 mm long. Ovary with style branching between base and middle of anthers, branches 2.5 mm long, usually tangled among anthers. Flowering time Oct.-Feb. Capsule 9-12 x 8-10 mm; upper half lightly papillose.
Herb to 30 cm high. Corm conical, c. 1 cm diam. Basal leaves linear-ensiform, 10–30 cm long, 3–6 mm wide, glabrous; midvein prominent. Scape terete, shorter than leaves. Spike unbranched, 3–6-flowered. Bracts ovate, 5–7 mm long. Perianth pink or pale blue; tube slender, slightly widened at apex, 1.5–2.5 cm long; lobes spreading, ovate to oblong, sub-equal, 7–12 mm long, the lower 3 marked with red or purple. Style branching above anthers. Capsule c. 1.2 cm long. Seeds c. 1 mm diam., lustrous, dark red. [See also Green (1994: 519), as Anomatheca laxa.]
Cormous herb, up to 300 mm tall. Perianth segments broadly ovate to oblong, held at right angles to tube. Tube 20-30 mm long. Flowers red or bright pink.
Life form perennial
Growth form herb
Growth support free-standing
Foliage retention deciduous
Sexuality hermaphrodite
Pollination -
Spread -
Mature width (meter) - 0.1
Mature height (meter) 0.2 - 0.35
Root system -
Rooting depth (meter) -
Root diameter (meter) -
Flower color
Blooming months
JanFebMar
AprMayJun
JulAugSep
OctNovDec
Fruit color -
Fruiting months -
Nitrogen fixer -
Photosynthetic pathway c3

Environment

Occasional garden escape. Grows on waste ground, weedy tracks, roadsides, in pavement crevices, parkland, disturbed bushland (recorded from open eucalypt forest, wet sclerophyll forest, coastal woodland/littoral rainforest, coastal heathland, gassy headland).
Light 7-9
Soil humidity 2-7
Soil texture 6-7
Soil acidity 2-6
Soil nutriment -
Hardiness (USDA) 9-11

Usage

Cultivated as a garden ornamental.
Uses environmental use ornamental
Edible -
Therapeutic use -
Human toxicity -
Animal toxicity -

Cultivation

Can be grown by divisions or seedlings.
Mode divisions seedlings
Germination duration (days) 25 - 30
Germination temperacture (C°) 19 - 22
Germination luminosity -
Germination treatment -
Minimum temperature (C°) -7
Optimum temperature (C°) -
Size -
Vigor -
Productivity -

Images

Leaf

Freesia laxa leaf picture by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Freesia laxa leaf picture by ian connop (cc-by-sa)

Flower

Freesia laxa flower picture by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)
Freesia laxa flower picture by Trap Hers (cc-by-sa)

Distribution

Freesia laxa world distribution map, present in Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Mozambique, Mauritius, Norfolk Island, Réunion, Rwanda, eSwatini, Tanzania, United Republic of, Uganda, United States of America, South Africa, and Zambia

Identifiers

LSID urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:983608-1
WFO ID wfo-0000789534
COL ID 6JLX5
BDTFX ID -
INPN ID 707397
Wikipedia (EN) Link
Wikipedia (FR)

Synonyms

Meristostigma laxum Anomatheca laxa Freesia laxa Anomatheca cruenta Gladiolus laxus Lapeirousia laxa

Lower taxons

Freesia laxa subsp. azurea Freesia laxa subsp. laxa