Ixia acaulis

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 > Genus: Ixia

Ixia acaulis, a Knersvlakte limestone endemic. Namaqualand, Western Cape, South Africa. [photo Colin Paterson-Jones ©]

Unusual for Ixia in having a short, subterranean stem with single, terminal flowers and a subterranean ovary (de Vos, 1999a).

Distribution and habitat

Distribution is limited to the farm Rooiberg on the Knersvlakte, near Vanrhynsdorp, Western Cape, South Africa, where it occurs in rock cracks on limestone ridges (de Vos, 1999a).

Phenology

Flowers in May (de Vos, 1999a).

Conservation status

Vulnerable (Helm & von Staden, 2012).

History

• Named and described as Ixia acaulis by Goldblatt & Manning (1993).

Publications (by date)

• Goldblatt P, Manning JC. 1993. Ixia acaulis, a new acaulescent species of Iridaceae : Ixioideae from the Knersvlakte, Namaqualand, South Africa. Novon 3(2): 148-153.

• de Vos MP. 1999. Ixia. In: Flora of southern Africa 7(2), fascicle 1: 3-87.

• Helme NA, von Staden L. 2012. Ixia acaulis Goldblatt & J.C.Manning. National Assessment: Red List of South African Plants version 2013.1. Accessed on 2013/03/30.