Tritoniopsis

Tritoniopsis is a genus of evergreen or deciduous, cormous perennials in the Iridaceae family. They are known in Afrikaans as rietpypies (little reed pipes).

The corms are globose or flattened with roots emerging below. The corm tunics consist of matted fibres, sometimes much of it present.

The cylindrical flower stems are branched in some cases, sometimes leafy in their lower parts, or scaled. The basal leaves are biggest, decreasing in size up the stems. The often sword-shaped blades broaden above the base and have more than one longitudinal vein, while lacking midribs unless the blades are very narrow or thread-like, lacking distinct veins.

The inflorescences are spirally twisted spikes, the bracts leathery or dry and brown when the flowers open. The inner bract is longer or as long as the outer one. The bracts have entire margins.

The flower corollas are mostly two-lipped, short or long-tubed or salver-shaped, the six tepals expanding abruptly from a narrow base. The dorsal tepal is often bigger, sometimes clawed. Corolla colours include pink, purple, red, white, yellow, brown or cream. The lower three tepals usually have differently coloured markings.

The three stamens of each flower are often arched together below the dorsal tepal. The thread-like styles end in three short branches that do not subdivide.

The fruit capsules are ovoid to globose and leathery, sometimes inflated. When the seeds are winged or spongy, they are wind dispersed.

There are about 24 Tritoniopsis species, all in the South African fynbos.

The plant in picture is Tritoniopsis parviflora (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; Vlok and Schutte-Vlok, 2015; Manning, 2007).