FREESIA LEICHTLINII subsp ALBA

Family and Genus:- See- IRIDACEAE

Common Names:- None

Homotypic Synonyms:- Freesia refracta

Meaning:- Freesia (L) For Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese (d. 1876) of Kiel.

Leichtlinii (L) For Max Leichtlin (183101910, plant introducer of Bade-

Baden.

Alba (L) White

General description:- Perennial.

Corm:-

1) Obconical, clothed with fibrous tunics.

Stem:-

1) Aerial, 20-40 cm, suberect, simple.

Leaves:-

1) 5 or 6 linear-lanceolate forming a 2-ranked fan.

Flowers:-

1) 2-6, erect and borne ± horizontally in a secund spike.

2) Corolla, 3-4 cm, slightly zygomorphic.

3) Tube, narrow and dull yellow below, expanded above and whitish suffused pale

purple.

4) Segments, ovate-oblong, whitish inside with ± pronounced yellow markings.

Fruit:-

1) Capsule, cartilaginous, verrucose.

Click here for a glossary of terms used.

Habitat:- Abandoned terraces, olive groves, stone walls and rocky slopes between

fields. 0-400 m.

Distribution:- Scattered in the Aegean area. Native to S Africa, cultivated and

locally naturalised in S Europe. Rare on Crete currently know from only one location

near Mochlos in the NE.

Flowering time:- Feb-May

Photos by:- Courtesy of Wiki-Commons