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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

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Synonyms:

Image Gallery:

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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 mutila 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 pyrophila Moraea radians Moraea ramosissima Moraea Moraea reflexa Moraea Moraea regalis Moraea Moraea reticulata Moraea Moraea rigidifolia Moraea riparia Moraea rivulicola Moraea Moraea robusta Moraea Moraea saxicola Moraea Moraea schimperi Moraea Moraea schlechteri Moraea 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:

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Library search for Moraea

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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

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-- BobPries - 2013-12-11
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