You are here: Iris Wiki>Ird Web>AdmAll>IrisInfo>InfoClassificationFamilyIridaceae>IrdMoraea (01 Jul 2025, BobPries)Edit Attach

Genus Moraea

Moraea Mill., Fig. Pl. Gard. Dict. 2: 159 (1758), nom. Cons.

In Cyclopedia American Horticulture (1906): "MORAEA (probably named after Robert More, botanist, Shrewsbury, England). Iridaceae. Charming bulbous plants much like Irises, but unfortunately they are not so hardy as the common Irises and the individual fls. last only a day or so. Morsea is a genus of about 6O species, 45 of which are S. African, while the rest are chiefly from tropical Africa. Moraea is the African representative of Iris. No one character will separate the two genera. Moraeas have no perianth tube, while Irises usually have one. > subgenus which differs from it in having the ovary extended into a long beak which looks like a perianth tube, but none of this group is cult. The Moraeas proper are about as tender as other Cape bulbs. The amateur may find some suggestions as to their culture under Bulbs, Iris and Ixia.

By far the largest and most remarkable plant of the genus is Moraea Robinsoniana ( Dietes Robinsoniana). This grows 6-8 ft. high and has the habit of the New Zealand flax, Phormium tenax. A splendid specimen mentioned in B.M. 7212 bore 457 flowers between June 20 and Oct. 1. The individual fls. are 4 in. across, fragrant and last only a day. At Kew this noble plant has been successfully grown in the south end of a house. The stately plant pictured in G.F. 10:255 grew in a Californian garden and was said to be 16 years old from seed. The finest picture, however, is that in G.F. 4:355."

See below:

Botanical Plates:

210 Accepted Species:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

* A - - - - -

* B - - - - -

* C - - - - -

* D - - - - -

* E - - - - -

* F - - - - -

* G - - - - -

* H - - - - -

* I - - - - -

* K - - - - -

* L - - - - -

* M - - - - -

* N - - - - -

* O - - - - -

* P - - - - -

* R - - - - -

* S - - - - -

* T - - - - -

* U - - - - -

* V - - - - -

* W - - - - -

Synonyms:

Image Gallery:

under construction

Moraea acocksii Moraea afro-orientalis Moraea albicuspa Moraea albiflora Moraea algoensis Moraea alpina Moraea alticola Moraea amabilis Moraea amissa Moraea angolensis Moraea angulata Moraea angusta Moraea anomala Moraea ardesiaca Moraea aristata Moraea aspera Moraea atropunctata Moraea australis Moraea autumnalis Moraea balundana Moraea barkerae Moraea barnardiella Moraea barnardii Moraea bella Moraea bellendenii Moraea bifida Moraea bipartita Moraea bituminosa Moraea bolusii Moraea bovonei Moraea brachygyne Moraea brevifolia Moraea brevistyla Moraea brevituba Moraea britteniae Moraea bubalina Moraea bulbillifera Moraea caeca Moraea calcicola Moraea callista Moraea cantharophila Moraea carnea Moraea carsonii Moraea cedarmontana Moraea cedarmonticola Moraea ciliata Moraea citrina Moraea clavata Moraea collina Moraea comptonii Moraea contorta Moraea cookii Moraea cooperi Moraea crispa Moraea debilis Moraea deltoidea Moraea demissa Moraea deserticola Moraea dracomontana Moraea elegans Moraea elliotii Moraea elsiae -Moraea exiliflora_ Moraea falcifolia Moraea fenestralis Moraea fenestrata Moraea fergusoniae Moraea fistulosa Moraea flaccida Moraea flavescens Moraea flexicaulis Moraea fragrans Moraea fugacissima Moraea fugax Moraea fugax subsp. filicaulis Moraea fugax subsp. fugax Moraea fuscomontana Moraea galaxia Moraea galpinii Moraea garipensis Moraea gawleri Moraea gigandra Moraea gracilenta Moraea graminicola Moraea graminicola subsp. graminicola Moraea graminicola subsp. notata Moraea graniticola Moraea herrei Moraea hesperantha Moraea hexaglottis Moraea hiemalis Moraea huttonii Moraea inclinata Moraea inconspicua Moraea incurva Moraea indecora Moraea insolens Moraea intermedia Moraea inyangani Moraea iringensis Moraea kamiesensis_ Moraea kamiesmontana_ Moraea karroica_ Moraea knersvlaktensis_ Moraea lewisiae_ Moraea lilacina_ Moraea linderi_ Moraea longiaristata_ Moraea longiflora_ Moraea longifolia_ Moraea longipes_ Moraea longistyla_ Moraea loubseri_ Moraea louisabolusiae_ Moraea lugubris_ Moraea lurida_ Moraea luteoalba_ Moraea macgregorii_ Moraea macrantha_ Moraea macrocarpa_ Moraea macronyx_ Moraea margaretae_ Moraea marginata_ Moraea marionae_ Moraea marlothii_ Moraea maximiliani_ Moraea mediterranea_ Moraea melanops_ Moraea miniata_ Moraea minima_ Moraea minor_ Moraea modesta_ Moraea moggii_ Moraea moggii subsp. albescens_ Moraea moggii var. moggii_ Moraea monticola<_ Moraea muddii_ Moraea namaquamontana_ Moraea namaquana_ Moraea namibensis_ Moraea nana_ Moraea natalensis_ Moraea neglecta_ Moraea nubigena_ Moraea ochroleuca_ Moraea pallida_ Moraea papilionacea_ Moraea patens_ Moraea pearsonii_ Moraea pendula_ Moraea pilifolia_ Moraea polyanthos_ Moraea polystachya_ Moraea pritzeliana_ Moraea pseudospicata_ Moraea pubiflora_ Moraea punctata_ Moraea pyrophila_ Moraea radians_ Moraea ramosissima_ Moraea reflexa_ Moraea regalis_ Moraea reticulata_ Moraea rigidifolia_ Moraea riparia_ Moraea rivulicola_ Moraea robusta_ Moraea saxicola_ Moraea schimperi_ Moraea schlechteri_ Moraea serpentina_ Moraea serratostyla_ Moraea setifolia_ Moraea simplex_ Moraea simulans_ Moraea sisyrinchium_ Moraea spathulata_ Moraea speciosa_ Moraea stagnalis_ Moraea stricta_ Moraea tanquana_ Moraea tanzanica_ Moraea textilis_ Moraea thomasiae_ Moraea thomsonii_ Moraea tortilis_ Moraea tricolor_ Moraea tricuspidata_ Moraea trifida_ Moraea tripetala_ Moraea tripetala var. jacquiniana_ Moraea tripetala var. tripetala_ Moraea tulbaghensis_ Moraea umbellata_ Moraea unguiculata_ Moraea unibracteata_ Moraea unifoliata_ Moraea upembana_ Moraea vallisavium_ Moraea vallisbelli_ Moraea variabilis_ Moraea vegeta_ Moraea venenata_ Moraea ventricosa_ Moraea verdickii_ . Moraea verecunda_ Moraea versicolor_ Moraea vespertina_ Moraea vigilans_ Moraea villosa_ Moraea villosa subsp. elandsmontana_ Moraea villosa subsp. villosa_ Moraea virgata_ Moraea viscaria_ Moraea vlokii_ Moraea vuvuzela_ Moraea worcesterensis_

Further Reading in Library:

.

Library search for Moraea

.

Hybrids:

See a great blog for new hybrids of Moraea at https://growingcoolplants.blogspot.com/2023/09/new-moraea-hybrids-2023.html

E-members of The American Iris Society can access onlinea great article "Fun with Moraea , the spectacular "Peacock Flower" of South Africa" page 15, volume 106, No.2 Spring 2025 issue of Irises , The Bulletin of the American Iris Society

Classification

The genus is divided into 10 subgenera and under those 19 recognised sections and 2 series unfortunately how these are organized is not available online Moraea Mill. ex L., Sp. Pl., ed. 2. 1: 59 (1762). Moraea Mill., Fig. Pl. Gard. Dict. 159 (1758), nom. et orth. cons.
  • Moraea subgen. Acaules Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 37 (2013).
  • Moraea subgen. Galaxia (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 37 (2013).
  • Moraea subgen. Grandiflora Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 63(1): 8 (1976).
  • Moraea subgen. Helixyra Baker, J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 16: 132 (1877).
  • Moraea subgen. Homeria (Vent.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 40 (2013).
  • Moraea subgen. Monocephalae (Baker) Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 63(1): 7 (1976).
  • Moraea subgen. Plumariae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 36 (2013).
  • Moraea subgen. Polyanthes (Goldblatt) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 37 (2013), nom. inval.
  • Moraea subgen. Umbellatae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 36 (2013).
  • Moraea subgen. Visciramosa Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 63(1): 7 (1976).

Sections and series

Moraea sect. Conanthera (Goldblatt) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 40 (2013). Moraea sect. Deserticola Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 63(1): 7 (1976). Moraea sect. Eumoraea Pax, Die Nat?rlichen Pflanzenfamilien 2(5) (1887). Moraea ser. Eurystigma (Goldblatt) Goldblatt, Novon 8(4): 377 (1998). Moraea sect. Flexuosa Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 69(2): 356 (1983). Moraea sect. Galaxia (Thunb.) Goldblatt, Novon 8(4): 376 (1998). Moraea sect. Gynandriris (Parl.) Goldblatt, Novon 8(4): 376 (1998). Moraea sect. Hexaglottis (Vent.) Goldblatt, Novon 8(4): 376 (1998). Moraea sect. Homeria (Vent.) Goldblatt, Novon 8(4): 374 (1998). Moraea sect. Integres Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 39 (2013). Moraea sect. Multifoliae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 36 (2013). Moraea sect. Polyanthes Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 63(1): 8 (1976). Moraea sect. Polyphyllae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 36 (2013). Moraea sect. Pseudospicatae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 38 (2013). Moraea sect. Serpentinae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 37 (2013). Moraea sect. Stipanthera (Goldblatt) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 40 (2013). Moraea sect. Tubiflora Goldblatt, Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 63(1): 7 (1976). Moraea ser. Unguiculatae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 37 (2013). Moraea sect. Vieusseuxia (D.Delaroche) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 39 (2013). Moraea sect. Villosae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 40 (2013). Moraea sect. Visciramosae Goldblatt & J.C.Manning, Bothalia 43(1): 36 (2013).

See also Moraea classification

Administration

Please do not enter images that are not your own without owners' permission, this is against Wiki policy

"Although the Encyclopedia is free to all, it is supported by Emembership in AIS, If you would like to help sustain this reference, for $15 you can become an Emember, click here."

Interested in Iris Species? Please visit the: Species Iris Group of North America website.

To Report errors do not use comment box but contact the Iris Encyclopedia Photo Manager or Iris Encyclopedia Manager Comment box is reserved for added information about the topic.

Your Observations Are Valued. Please make note of bud count, branching, purple based foliage and bloom time, etc. Because these are affected by climate, note date, year and geographic location and write these and other comments in the comment box below.

-- BobPries - 29 May 2018

 

-- BobPries - 2013-12-11
Edit  | Attach | Print version | History: r49 < r48 < r47 < r46 | Backlinks | View wiki text | Edit wiki text | More topic actions
Topic revision: r49 - 01 Jul 2025, BobPries
This site is powered by FoswikiCopyright © by the contributing authors. All material on this collaboration platform is the property of the contributing authors.
Ideas, requests, problems regarding Iris Wiki? Send feedback