Moraea Mill.

Iridaceae, P. Goldblatt. Flora Zambesiaca 12:4. 1993

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs with tunicate corms, aerial parts dying back annually.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves several to few, the lower 2–3 entirely sheathing and membranous (cataphylls); foliage leaves 1-several, inserted on the lower part of the stem, usually bifacial and channelled, sometimes terete; cauline leaves shorter or entirely sheathing and bract-like.

Morphology Stem

Stem simple or branched (entirely subterranean in some South African species).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Inflorescence(s) composed of rhipidia (umbellate flower clusters); rhipidia single per branch or occasionally crowded terminally, each enclosed in a pair of opposed leafy bracts (spathes) concealing the buds.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers Iris-like, usually blue or yellow with contrasting nectar guides on the outer tepals, radially symmetrical, usually pedicellate, borne serially.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals free (rarely united); the outer larger and strongly clawed with limbs spreading to reflexed; the inner often erect, or spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments partly to completely united around the style (free in some South African species), anthers appressed to the style branches.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style filiform below, dividing into 3 flat usually petaloid branches, these diverging and usually forked apically into 2 crests (crests occasionally lacking), stigma transverse and abaxial below the crests.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules globose to cylindric.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds numerous, rounded, angular or discoid.

Iridaceae, P. Goldblatt. Flora Zambesiaca 12:4. 1993

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers pedicellate, actinomorphic, more or less stellate, mostly yellow or salmon-pink, tepal markings when present usually on all tepals; tepals free, unguiculate, the limbs spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments united in a column around the style, sometimes free near their apices; anthers linear, appressed to the style branches.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary

Ovary cylindric to ovoid and trigonous.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style

Style slender, dividing at the apex of the filament column into 3 narrow, compressed branches; the branches stigmatic at the apices, sometimes bilobed or with paired short subterminal appendages.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules coriaceous, often included in the spathes until maturity.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds

Seeds irregularly angled.

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs with tunicate corms, aerial pans dying back annually; corm tunics of blackish coarse wiry fibres.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves several to many, the lower 2-3 entirely sheathing and membranous (cataphylls); foliage leaves solitary (2-several in species outside the Flora Zambesiaca area), linear, without a midrib, channelled, bifacial.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences

Flowering stems of several internodes, usually branched, with entirely sheathing bract-like leaves at the nodes, the sheaths closed. Inflorescences consisting of single terminal rhipidia; spathes green, coriaceous, the inner longer than the outer.

Iridaceae, P. Goldblatt. Flora Zambesiaca 12:4. 1993

Morphology General Habit

Perennial herbs with tunicate corms, aerial parts dying back annually.

Morphology Leaves

Leaves several to many, the lower 2–3 entirely sheathing and membranous (cataphylls); foliage leaves 1 or 2, linear, bifacial and channelled; sheathing leaves on the upper stem few.

Morphology Stem

Stem simple or branched, the nodes bearing sessile lateral inflorescences.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers

Flowers in umbellate clusters (rhipidia); rhipidia 1-several per branch, sessile except the terminal one, enclosed in a pair of opposed leafy bracts (spathes) concealing the buds; spathes lightly ribbed with alternating bands of green and transparent tissue. Flowers more or less sessile, Iris-like, radially symmetrical, usually blue to violet or purple or white, often with yellow nectar guides on the outer tepals.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Tepal

Tepals free, the outer larger and clawed, the limbs spreading, the inner erect or spreading.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens

Filaments united below around the style; anthers oblong to linear, appressed to the style branches.

Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil

Ovary elongate-cylindric, nearly sessile, included in the spathes, fertile only in the lower part, forming a sterile tube above; style filiform below, dividing into 3 flat, more or less diverging petaloid branches, forked apically into 2 crests, stigma transverse and abaxial below the crests (or terminal).

Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits

Capsules cylindric, the walls more or less translucent.