Ixia is a genus of cormous plants native to South Africa from the family Iridaceae. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include sword-like leaves and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained soil. The popular corn lily has specific, not very intense fragrance. It is often visited by many insects such as bees. The Ixia are also used sometimes as ornamental plants. The genus is endemic to the Cape Provinces of western South Africa.

The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek ἰξία (ixia) (= χαμαιλέων λευκός, (chamaeleon leukos)), the pine thistle, Carlina gummifera, an unrelated plant in the daisy family, Asteraceae.

Species

The genus Ixia includes the following species:

• Ixia abbreviata Houtt.

• Ixia acaulis Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia alata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia alticola Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia altissima Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia angelae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia arenosa Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia atrandra Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia aurea J.C.Manning & Goldblatt

• Ixia bellendenii R.C.Foster

• Ixia bifolia J.C.Manning & Goldblatt

• Ixia brevituba G.J.Lewis

• Ixia brunneobractea G.J.Lewis

• Ixia calendulacea Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia campanulata Houtt.

• Ixia capillaris L.f.

• Ixia cedarmontana Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia cochlearis G.J.Lewis

• Ixia collina Goldblatt & Snijman

• Ixia confusa (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia contorta Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia curta Andrews

• Ixia curvata G.J.Lewis

• Ixia dieramoides Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia divaricata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia dolichosiphon Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia dubia Vent.

• Ixia ecklonii Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia erubescens Goldblatt

• Ixia esterhuyseniae M.P.de Vos

• Ixia exiliflora Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia flagellaris Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia flexuosa L.

• Ixia frederickii M.P.de Vos

Ixia fucata Ker Gawl.

• Ixia fucata var. filifolia G.J.Lewis

• Ixia fucata var. fucata

• Ixia gloriosa G.J.Lewis

• Ixia helmei Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia lacerata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia latifolia D.Delaroche

• Ixia latifolia var. angustifolia G.J.Lewis

• Ixia latifolia var. latifolia

• Ixia latifolia var. parviflora G.J.Lewis

• Ixia latifolia var. ramulosa G.J.Lewis

• Ixia leipoldtii G.J.Lewis

• Ixia leucantha Jacq.

• Ixia linderi Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia linearifolia Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia longistylis (M.P.de Vos) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia longituba N.E.Br.

• Ixia longituba var. bellendenii R.C.Foster

• Ixia longituba var. longituba

• Ixia lutea Sessé & Moc.

• Ixia lutea var. ovata (Andr.) B.Nord

• Ixia macrocarpa Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia maculata L.

• Ixia maculata var. fusco-citrina (Desf.ex DC) G.J.Lewis

• Ixia maculata var. intermedia G.J.Lewis

• Ixia marginifolia (Salisb) G.J.Lewis

• Ixia metelerkampiae L.Bolus

Ixia micrandra Baker

• Ixia micrandra var. confusa G.JLewis

• Ixia micrandra var. micranda

• Ixia micrandra var. minor G.J.Lewis

• Ixia minor (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia mollis Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia monadelpha D.Delaroche

• Ixia monticola Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia mostertii M.P.de Vos

• Ixia nutans Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia odorata Ker Gawl.

• Ixia odorata var. odorata

• Ixia orientalis L.Bolus

• Ixia oxalidiflora Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia paniculata D.Delaroche

• Ixia parva Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia patens Aiton

• Ixia patens var. patens

• Ixia pauciflora G.J.Lewis

• Ixia pavonia Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia polystachya L.

• Ixia polystachya var. lutea (Ker Gawl.) G.J.Lewis

• Ixia polystachya var. longistylus var. nova

• Ixia polystachya var. polystachya

• Ixia pumilio Goldblatt & Snijman

• Ixia purpureorosea G.J.Lewis

• Ixia ramulosa (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia rapunculoides Redouté

• Ixia rapunculoides var. flaccida G.J.Lewis

• Ixia rapuncuolides var. namaquana (L.Bolus) G.J.Lewis

• Ixia rapunculoides var. rapunculoides

• Ixia rapunculoides var. rigida G.J.Lewis

• Ixia rapunculoides var. robusta G.J.Lewis

• Ixia rapunculoides var subpendula G.J..Lewis

• Ixia reclinata Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia recondita Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia rigida Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia rivulicola Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia robusta (G.J.Lewis) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia roseoalba Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia rouxii G.J.Lewis

• Ixia sarmentosa Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia saundersiana Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

Ixia scillaris L.

• Ixia scillaris var. subundulata G.J.Lewis

• Ixia seracina Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia simulans Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia sobolifera Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia splendida G.J.Lewis

• Ixia stenophylla Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia stohriae L.Bolus

• Ixia stolonifera G.J.Lewis

• Ixia stricta (Eckl. ex Klatt) G.J.Lewis

• Ixia superba J.C.Manning & Goldblatt

• Ixia tenuifolia Vahl

• Ixia tenuis Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia teretifolia Goldblatt & J.C.Manning

• Ixia thomasiae Goldblatt

• Ixia trifolia G.J.Lewis

• Ixia trinervata (Baker) G.J.Lewis

• Ixia vanzijliae L.Bolus

• Ixia versicolor G.J.Lewis

• Ixia vinacea G.J.Lewis

• Ixia viridiflora Lam.

See also

• List of plants known as lily

References

Bibliography