Freesia occidentalis flowers

The fragrant flowers of Freesia occidentalis grow in a horizontal or inclined spike in a single rank. There is a small, dry bract at each flower base.

The flowers are funnel-shaped, creamy white on the inside of the tepals with yellow markings and a dark central line on the lower tepals. The outer tepal surfaces sometimes have patches of purple colouring, not in evidence in this photo.

The arching stamens are held together in the corolla mouth. The white stigma is branched, protruding further outside the mouth than the anthers, close to the upper tepal.

Flowering happens from late winter to early spring (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iSpot; www.pacificbulbsociety.org; www.biodiversityexplorer.org).