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freesia

{{Short description|Genus of flowering plants}}

{{other uses}}

{{Automatic taxobox

|image = Freesia.jpg

|image_caption = Cultivated freesias

|display_parents = 2

|taxon = Freesia

|authority = Eckl. ex Klatt

|type_species = Freesia refracta

|type_species_authority = (Jacquin) Klatt

|synonyms_ref =

|synonyms=

  • Anomatheca Ker Gawl.
  • Nymanina Kuntze

}}

Freesia is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1866 by Christian Friedrich Ecklon (1886) and named after the German botanist and medical practitioner, Friedrich Freese (1795–1876). It is native to the eastern side of southern Africa, from Kenya south to South Africa, most species being found in Cape Provinces. Species of the former genus Anomatheca are now included in Freesia. The plants commonly known as "freesias", with fragrant funnel-shaped flowers, are cultivated hybrids of a number of Freesia species. Some other species are also grown as ornamental plants.

Description

They are herbaceous plants which grow from a conical corm {{cvt|1|–|2.5|cm|in|frac=4}} diameter, which sends up a tuft of narrow leaves {{cvt|10|–|30|cm|in|0}} long, and a sparsely branched stem {{cvt|10|–|40|cm|in|0}} tall bearing a few leaves and a loose one-sided spike of flowers with six petals. Many species have fragrant narrowly funnel-shaped flowers, although those formerly placed in the genus Anomatheca, such as F. laxa, have flat flowers.

Freesias are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the large yellow underwing.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}

Systematics

The genus was named in honor of Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese (1795–1876), a German physician.{{cite book |author1=Manning, John |author2=Goldblatt, Peter |title=The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification |publisher=Timber Press |location=Portland, Oregon|pages=149–52 |year=2008|isbn=978-0-88192-897-6}}

; SpeciesSearch for "Freesia", {{Citation |title=World Checklist of Selected Plant Families |publisher=Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/ |access-date=2012-08-13 }}

  • Freesia andersoniae L.Bolus - the Cape Provinces, Free State
  • Freesia caryophyllacea (Burm.f.) N.E.Br. (syn. F. elimensis L.Bolus, F. parva N.E.Br., F. xanthospila (DC.) Klatt) - Heuningrug region in the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia corymbosa (Burm.f.) N.E.Br. (syn. F. armstrongii W.Watson, F. brevis N.E.Br., F. aurea Hend., F. odorata (G.Lodd. ex Bosse) Eckl. ex Klatt) - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia fergusoniae L.Bolus - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia fucata J.C.Manning & Goldblatt - Hoeks River Valley in the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia grandiflora (Baker) Klatt - Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, northeastern South Africa
  • Freesia laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning (syn. F. cruenta (Lindl.) Klatt) - from Rwanda + Kenya south to the Cape Provinces; naturalized in Madeira, Mauritius, Réunion, Australia, Florida, Argentina
  • Freesia leichtlinii Klatt (syn. F. middlemostii F.Barker, F. muirii N.E.Br., Freesia alba G.L.Mey. = F. leichtlinii subsp. alba (G.L.Mey.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) - the Cape Provinces; naturalized in Corsica, California, Florida, Argentina
  • Freesia marginata J.C.Manning & Goldblatt - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia occidentalis L.Bolus (syn. F. framesii L.Bolus) - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia praecox J.C.Manning & Goldblatt - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia refracta (Jacq.) Klatt (syn. F. hurlingii L.Bolus) - the Cape Provinces; naturalized in France, Canary Islands, Madeira, Bermuda, St. Helena
  • Freesia sparrmanii (Thunb.) N.E.Br. - Langeberg in the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia speciosa L.Bolus (syn. F. flava (E.Phillips & N.E.Br.) N.E.Br.) - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia verrucosa (B.Vogel) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning (syn. F. juncea (Pourr.) Klatt) - the Cape Provinces
  • Freesia viridis (Aiton) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Namibia, the Cape Provinces

Species of the former genus Anomatheca are now included in Freesia:

Cultivation and uses

The plants usually called "freesias" in horticulture and floristry are derived from crosses made in the 19th century between Freesia refracta and Freesia leichtlinii. Numerous cultivars have been bred from these species and the pink- and yellow-flowered forms of Freesia corymbosa. Modern tetraploid cultivars have flowers ranging from white to yellow, pink, red and blue-mauve. They are mostly cultivated professionally in the Netherlands by about 80 growers.Dutch flowerpaper, Bloemenkrant, publisher Verhagen, week 12-2015, see also http://issuu.com/twovisions/docs/bk_week_12_15?e=1360358/11894263 Freesias can be readily increased from seed. Due to their specific and pleasing scent, they are often used in hand creams, shampoos, candles, etc.{{citation needed|date=August 2012}}; however, the flowers themselves are mainly used in wedding bouquets.

Freesia laxa (formerly called Lapeirousia laxa or Anomatheca cruenta) is one of the other species of the genus which is commonly cultivated. Smaller than the scented freesia cultivars, it has flat rather than cup-shaped flowers.{{Citation |last=Mathew |first=Brian |year=1987 |title=The Smaller Bulbs |publication-place=London |publisher=B.T. Batsford |isbn=978-0-7134-4922-8 }}, p. 9{{Citation |last=Innes |first=Clive |year=1985 |title=The World of Iridaceae |publication-place=Ashington, UK |publisher=Holly Gate International |isbn=978-0-948236-01-3 }}, p. 18

File:Freesia refracta (Jacq.) Klatt (AM AK333551-2).jpg|Freesia plants in native habitat

File:Flower March 2010-2.jpg|Freesia alba (F. leichtlinii subsp. alba)

File:Freesia caryophyllacea 1DS-II 1-8705.jpg|Freesia caryophyllacea

File:Freesia corymbosa KirstenboshBotGard09292010wildformB.jpg|Freesia corymbosa

File:Freesia grandiflora KirstenboshBotGard09292010A.jpg|Freesia grandiflora

File:Anomatheca laxa01.JPG|Freesia laxa

File:FreesiaRefracta2.jpg|Freesia refracta (garden cultivar)

File:PikiWiki Israel 42309 Plants of Israel.JPG|Variety of freesia cultivars

File:Purple Freesia.jpg|Mauve-colored freesia cultivar

File:Freesia verrucosa 97692625.jpg|Freesia verrucosa

File:Freesia viridis.jpg|Freesia viridis in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Volume 31: t. 1275, as Tritonia viridis

File:Freesia viridis crispifolia 15935754.jpg|Freesia viridis subsp. crispifolia

References

{{Reflist}}

Bibliography

{{refbegin}}

  • {{cite book|last1=Manning|first1=John C.|last2=Goldblatt|first2=Peter|author-link2=Peter Goldblatt|title=Botany and horticulture of the genus Freesia (Iridaceae)|series=Strelitzia vol. 27|date=2010|publisher=South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI|location=Pretoria|isbn=978-1-919976-58-7|url=https://archive.org/stream/botanyhorticultu27mann/Strelitzia_27_2010#page/n1/mode/2up}}
  • Goldblatt, P. (1982) Systematics of Freesia Klatt (Iridaceae) J. South African Bot. 48:39-93.

{{refend}}

External links

{{Commons}}

  • {{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Freesia}}
  • [https://web.archive.org/web/20070405045424/http://bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Freesia/Freesialist.shtml Freesias photos of International Bulb Society]
  • [http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Freesia Freesias photos of Pacific Bulb Society]
  • [http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/freesalba.htm PlantZAfrica: Freesia]
  • [http://www.aromaticas.es/freesias/6/ Freesia info and pictures] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110430032428/http://www.aromaticas.es/freesias/6/ |date=2011-04-30 }} {{in lang|es}}
  • [http://www.lahoregardening.com/2011/03/growing-freesia-in-warm-climates.html How to grow freesia in warm climates]

{{Taxonbar|from=Q157392}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Iridaceae genera

Category:Flora of the Afrotropical realm