Moraea fugax Jacq.

Plants medium to large, mostly 200-500 mm high. Corm 15-30 mm diam.; tunics of light, rarely dark brown, medium-textured fibres. Stem mostly 2-3 mm diam., suberect to inclined, with long basal internode, sheathing leaves mostly 15-30 mm long, dry and brown distally. Foliage leaves inserted at first node above ground, solitary or 2, ± opposite and subequal or unequal, linear, much exceeding stem, ± falcate, trailing distally, channelled, (1.5-)3.0-7.0 mm wide, margins sometimes tightly inrolled, then evidently terete. Rhipidial spathes with age dry and membranous distally, inner 35-80 mm long, outer entirely sheathing, ± 1/3 as long. Flowers fugaceous, white, blue or yellow, outer tepal limbs with yellow or white nectar guides at bases, strongly vanilla-scented; tepals lanceolate, limbs ± spreading, claws ascending; outer tepals 30-50 mm long, limb ± as long as claw or slightly shorter; inner tepals 26-43 x 5-9 mm. Filaments 7-13 mm long; anthers 6.5-10.0 mm long, usually white; pollen usually white. Ovary ellipsoid, 10-20 mm long with beak ± 1.5 mm, included; style branches (10-)12-20 mm long, crests lanceolate, 10-20 mm long. Capsules club-shaped to ± cylindric, shortly beaked, mostly 12-30 mm long. Seeds many, angled.

It is a Mediterranean climate plant. It grows in warm temperate places. It grows in hot arid places with a marked dry season. It is usually on sandy soils. It can grow in arid places.

The bulbous roots are eaten roasted, boiled or stewed with milk.

Can be grown by seedlings.