Ixia stricta

Ixia stricta is a cormous perennial reaching heights from 35 cm to 55 cm in its wiry, sometimes-branched flower stem. The specific name, stricta, is derived from the Latin word strictus meaning drawn tight, referring to the plant’s upright growth habit.

The long, narrowly sword-shaped leaves have prominent midribs and margins. The deciduous leaves may be brown and dry by the time the plant flowers.

The inflorescence is a spike of six to sixteen small flowers, their tubes thread-like. The round-tipped tepals spread their concave lobes, coloured in various shades of pink. The three oblong, yellow anthers on short filaments are erect, conspicuous over the flower centre. The style has three short branches. Flowering happens late in spring and early in summer.

The species distribution is restricted in the southwest of the Western Cape from Houw Hoek and Caledon to Bredasdorp. The photo was taken in the Salmonsdam Nature Reserve.

The habitat is lower fynbos and renosterveld slopes and flats where the soils are sandy or loamy. Flowering is best after fire. The species is considered near threatened in habitat early in the twenty first century, due to crop cultivation and habitat degradation from overgrazing, poor fire management and alien vegetation invasion (Curtis-Scott, et al, 2020; Marais, (Ed.), 2017; Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist; http://redlist.sanbi.org).