Flora of New Zealand Series

Tufted grass-like perennial, 45-60 cm high, basal leaves often lying flat in fans on the ground. Stems simple or branched above, winged, 2.5 mm wide, with a cauline leaf at each slightly swollen purple node. Leaves linear, ensiform, grass-like, to 20 cm × 5 mm, margins minutely serrulate, cauline leaves < or > internodes. Flowers 1-1.5 cm long, to 2 cm diam., in clusters of (2) -4-5 within ± equal spathe-valves, whitish-cream, internally with a 6-pointed purple star at throat, externally purple-striped above, pubescent below; lobes oblong with deltoid acute tip. Capsule c. 5 × 5 mm, glabrous, reddish-brown. Seeds ± 1 mm long, black, angled.

N. Throughout. S. Marlborough - northern high-rainfall areas, and near Kaikoura; Canterbury - Christchurch, Rangitata River mouth; Westland.

First record: Kirk 1878a: 368, 376, as "S. chilense Hook."

First collection: "Common over the hills near Wellington; cows eat it greedily, it forms a considerable part of the pasture, Hector, received 12/1868" (K).

S. iridifolium is widely occurring and locally common in poorer low density hill country grassland in higher rainfall districts, on grassy roadsides and in sparsely vegetated waste places. At times, it is common on sites of roadside shingle dumps, verges of country roads and shingled shoulders of sealed roads, but it also tolerates damper soil, and occurs marginally about wet hollows, and on hummocks in swamp areas.

Fig. 22. SISYRINCHIUM, flowers; A-B: S. iridifolium; A from above, B side view. C-D: S. blue; C from above, D side view. E-F: S. yellow; E from above, F side view. © All rights reserved. [Image: 26X8]

Fig. 23. AMARYLLIDACEAE; A-E: Narcissus; A long corona, B-C shorter corona, D ' Tazetta' group, E ' Poeticus' group. F: Leucojum aestivum, snowflake. LILIACEAE; G: Muscari armeniacum, grape hyacinth. H: Scilla non-scripta, bluebell. I. Lilium tigrinum, tiger lily. © All rights reserved. [Image: 26X9]

Fig. 24. LILIACEAE; A: Agapanthus orientalis. B: Nothoscordum inodorum. ALSTROEMERIACEAE: C: Alstroemeria pulchella. HAEMODORACEAE; D: Wachendorfia thyrsiflora. IRIDACEAE: E-G: Chasmanthe bicolor; E inflorescence, F capsule, G flower, H: Chasmanthe floribunda. © All rights reserved. [Image: 26XA]

Fig. 25. IRIDACEAE; A: Aristea ecklonii. B: Babiana stricta. C: Sparaxis tricolor. D: Ixia maculata. E: Tritonia lineata. F: Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora, montbretia. G: Watsonia meriana. H: Gladiolus undulatus. I: Homeria collina, Cape tulip. © All rights reserved. [Image: 26XB]