Genus: Tritonia

Life > eukaryotes > Archaeoplastida > Chloroplastida > Charophyta > Streptophytina > Plantae (land plants) > Tracheophyta (vascular plants) > Euphyllophyta > Lignophyta (woody plants) > Spermatophyta (seed plants) > Angiospermae (flowering plants) > Monocotyledons > Order: Asparagales > Family: Iridaceae

Occurs from South Africa through to Tanzania but most of the 27 species are found in the winter rainfall region of the Western Cape and Namaqualand (Northern Cape).

Most species have flowers pollinated by long-tongued bees but there are long-tubed species that are pollinated by long-proboscid flies such as Philoliche (Tabanidae) and Moegistorhynchus (Nemestrinidae) (Goldblatt & Manning 2000).

Species native to southern Africa

List from Plants of Southern Africa - an Online Checklist (SANBI).

Tritonia atrorubens
Tritonia bakeri
Tritonia chrysantha
Tritonia cooperi
Tritonia crocata
Tritonia deusta
Tritonia disticha
Tritonia drakensbergensis
Tritonia dubia
Tritonia flabellifolia
Tritonia florentiae
Tritonia gladiolaris [=Tritonia lineata]
Tritonia kamisbergensis
Tritonia karooica
Tritonia lancea
Tritonia laxifolia
Tritonia marlothii
Tritonia moggii Recorded from Mozambique.
Tritonia nelsonii
Tritonia pallida
Tritonia parvula
Tritonia securigera
Tritonia securigera
Tritonia squalida
Tritonia strictifolia
Tritonia tugwelliae
Tritonia undulata [= Tritonia crispa]

Publications

• de Vos, M.P. 1982. The African genus Tritonia Ker-Gawler 1. Journal of South African Botany 48: 105-163.

• de Vos, M.P. 1983. The African genus Tritonia Ker-Gawler 2. Journal of South African Botany 49: 347-422.

• de Vos, M.P. 1999. Ixia, Tritonia, Crocosmia, Duthieastrum, Chasmanthe. Flora of southern Africa 7,2, fascicle 1: 1-147.

• Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J.C. 2000. Iridaceae. In: In: Seed Plants of Southern Africa (ed. O.A. Leistner). Strelitzia 10: 623-638. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.