Freesia laxa (Anomatheca).
Family Iridaceae > Subfamily Crocoideae > Tribe Ixeae (Freesieae).
Previously classified as Anomatheca laxa it is still commonly known by that name.
It is naturalised in Australia.
A perennial, clump forming plant growing from 1 cm corms.
The basal leaves are a narrow linear or lanceolate shape.
They are arranged in a flat fan and die off after flowering.
The erect and usually unbranched inflorescence stems are up to 30 or 40 cm high.
The flowers face upwards and each has 2 small, green bracts at the base.
The bases of the 6 tepals are fused into a narrow funnel-shaped tube about 3 cm long.
The tepal lobes are divided by a slight gap into upper and lower groups of 3.
Flowers are 2 to 2.5 cm wide and the lobes lie in one plane i.e. flat – unlike other freesias.
Lobes are red or pink and the bases of the lower 3 have darker red or purple patches.
The inside of the tube is white.
The 3 stamens lie together and have basifixed, curved anthers.
The 3 style branches are often mixed up with the anthers.
Each of the 3 branches, holding the stigmas, forks into 2.
The ovary is inferior.
The fruit are capsules about 1 cm long with bright red seeds.
Subspecies have flowers that are pure white with no markings or pale blue.
J.F.
