Wandflower

Plants 10–40 cm. Corms tunicate; tunic with fine, whitish fibers. Leaves several, ± reaching base of spike. Spikes: spathes pale brown with darker brown streaks, subequal, dry, crinkled, outer with entire or lightly lacerate margins, inner forked apically. Tepals bright orange, yellow in center, with heart-shaped yellow mark in proximal 1/3, outlined distally with dark reddish brown band, lanceolate, subequal, 25–33 mm; perianth tube funnel-shaped, ca. 8 mm; stamens symmetrical; filaments contiguous, 6–7 mm; anthers yellow, linear, 8–9 mm; style slender, branching opposite anthers; branches 1–2 mm, expanded apically.

introduced; Calif.; s Africa (winter-rainfall region).

Flowering Mar--Apr.

Near gardens, dump sites, abandoned dwellings; 0--100m.

Ixia tricolor Schneevoogt, Icon. Pl. Rar., plate 39. 1794

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 southern Africa. It is present in California and Australia as an introduced species after having escaped from garden cultivation.

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