Freesia leichtlinii

Freesia leichtlinii is a small cormous perennial reaching a height of 20 cm when in flower. The leaves are sword-shaped and arranged fan-like. This leaf fan may remain upright or become prostrate.

Flowers grow in a short spike above the leaves at the end of August and the start of spring. The flower of F. leichtlinii is cream coloured with six tepals opening above the wide tube into two lips. The three tepals forming the lower lip are yellow with a tinge of orange and narrow dark parallel lines running into the throat of the flower. Whether these dark lines are always present is unsure.

The stamens with their whitish anthers are lined up together above the throat. The style that is longer than the stamens ends in a branched white stigma.

This plant grows in sandy coastal soil on the Agulhas Plain from Cape Agulhas to Mossel Bay among the scrub and fynbos (Manning, 2007; Mustart, 1997; www.alpinegardensociety.net).