Dietes iridiodes

whiteafricanirisfull
(Photo by Ebony Armstrong)

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Taxonomy (3)

Classification: Angiosperm, monocot
Family: Iridaceae
Common name: White African Iris, Fortnight Lily

General Information (1,2,3)

Region of Origin: East and South Africa
USDA Plants Hardiness Zones: 8-11

  • Size: 2-4 feet
  • Deciduous/Evergreen: Evergreen
  • Flowering: Spring to summer

Diagnostic Characteristics

Leaves (2,3)

  • Simple/Compound: Simple
  • Shape: Linear
  • Other: Leathery, 2 feet long

whiteafricanirisleaf
(Photo by Ebony Armstrong)

Flower (1,2,3,4)

  • Color: Milky white
  • Size: 3 inches
  • Other: Larger tepals have yellow marking; style is bluish-purple

whiteafricanirisflower
(Photo by Ebony Armstrong)

Fruit (2,3,4)

  • Fruit type: Capsule
  • Size: 1-2 inches

whiteafricanirisfruit
(Photo by Ebony Armstrong)

Horticultural Information (2,3)

  • Light: Full sun to shade
  • Landscape Uses: Borders, groundcover
  • Other: Avoid saline areas

Interesting Facts (2)

  • Flowers last for just a day

References

1) Brickell, C. and Cole, T.J. (2002). Encyclopedia of plants & flowers. American Horticultural Society
2) Collins, Mary. (2012). Fairchild Tropical Botanical Garden. http://www.fairchildgarden.org/livingcollections/plantsaleinformationpages/2012-Members-Day-Plant-Sale/
3) Christman, Steve. (2003). Dietes iridioides. Floridata. http://www.floridata.com/ref/d/diet_iri.cfm
4) Goldblatt, Peter. (1981). Systematics, phylogeny and evolution of Dietes (Iridaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 68 (1): pp132-53. http://www.jstor.org/stable/pdfplus/2398817.pdf

Prepared by Ebony Armstrong as a course requirement for BIOL 3630/5630, Spring 2013
Edited by Jessica Bartek