Common name: Thread Iris
Moraea setifolia (L.f.) Druce APNI* Synonyms: Gynandriris setifolia (L.f.) R.C.Foster APNI*
Description: Herb 4–20 cm high; corm 10–20 mm diam., tunic reddish brown.
Leaf usually solitary, narrow-linear, trailing, 20–60 cm long, 1–2 mm wide.
Scape 2–5 cm long, sometimes branched with 2–several cymes of 4–6 flowers; spathe bracts elliptic, 2–4 cm long, acuminate, subhyaline. Tepals reflexed to spreading, 13–16 mm long, pale lilac, often spotted with purple; outer tepals spathulate, 5–9 mm wide, with central orange mark; inner tepals oblanceolate c. 2 mm wide. Filaments fused at base. Style branches with acute 2-fid crests 4–8 mm long.
Capsule cylindrical, 1–1.4 cm long, with filiform beak 7–10 mm long; seeds 1–1.5 mm long, brown.
Flowering: September–November
Distribution and occurrence: Grows as a weed in dry pastures in winter-rainfall areas, also on roadsides; sometimes abundant, south from Parkes. Native of S Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *CWS, *SWS, *NWP, *SWP
Other Australian states: *Vic. *W.A. *S.A.
Text by T. A. James & E. A. Brown (1993); edited KL Wilson (Jan 2016)
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 4 (1993)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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