Freesia alba
Encyclopedia
Freesia alba is a species of flowering plant in the iris family
. It is native to South Africa
, but this species and hybrids are known on other continents where they have been introduced
. Freesia alba is a perennial herb growing from a corm
and producing an erect, often branched stem up to 40 centimeters tall with several leaves up to about 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence
is a spike of several fragrant flowers with usually white tepal
s marked with yellow and purple.
This plant is grown as an ornamental
, and it has been crossed and bred
to develop a wide array of variations. Hybrids between F. alba and Freesia leichtlinii can be found growing naturalized in the wild in many areas, such as several Australia
n states and Chile
.
Iridaceae
The Iris family or Iridaceae is a family of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants included in the monocot order Asparagales, taking its name from the genus Iris. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in horticulture, it includes more than 2000 species...
. It is native to South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, but this species and hybrids are known on other continents where they have been introduced
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
. Freesia alba is a perennial herb growing from a corm
Corm
A corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
and producing an erect, often branched stem up to 40 centimeters tall with several leaves up to about 15 centimeters long. The inflorescence
Inflorescence
An inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
is a spike of several fragrant flowers with usually white tepal
Tepal
Tepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s marked with yellow and purple.
This plant is grown as an ornamental
Ornamental plant
Ornamental plants are plants that are grown for decorative purposes in gardens and landscape design projects, as house plants, for cut flowers and specimen display...
, and it has been crossed and bred
Plant breeding
Plant breeding is the art and science of changing the genetics of plants in order to produce desired characteristics. Plant breeding can be accomplished through many different techniques ranging from simply selecting plants with desirable characteristics for propagation, to more complex molecular...
to develop a wide array of variations. Hybrids between F. alba and Freesia leichtlinii can be found growing naturalized in the wild in many areas, such as several Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n states and Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
.