Freesia laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt & Manning
subsp. laxa

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Kaperepeza road, Nyika National Park

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Synonyms:	Anomatheca cruenta Lindl. Anomatheca laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt subsp. laxa Gladiolus laxus Thunb. Lapeirousia cruenta (Lindl.) Baker Lapeirousia graebneriana Harms Lapeirousia laxa (Thunb.) N.E. Br. Meristostigma laxum (Thunb.) A. Dietr.
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb 20–35 cm high, growing from a conical corm, c. 1 cm in diameter. Leaves several, usually exceeding the inflorescence, narrowly lanceolate. Stem erect, usually unbranched. Inflorescence a 2–6-flowered spike, held more or less horizontal. Flowers zygomorphic, pink to red, with either darker marks at the base of the lower 3 tepals; perianth tube erect, slender, 18–33 mm long; tepals, broadly ovate to oblong, 9–13 cm long, held at right angles to the tube. Style branching between the base and middle of the anthers; style branches c. 2.5 mm long, deeply forked, often tangled among the anthers. Capsules 9–12 mm long, nearly smooth to lightly papillose in the upper half.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	laxa: open, loose, lax
Habitat:	On rocky hillsides and outcrops, sometimes along forest margins.
Altitude range:
Flowering time:	Nov - Feb
Worldwide distribution:	Southern DRC, Uganda, western Kenya, Southern Tanzania, northern Malawi, southern Mozambique, Zambia and South Africa.
Mozambique distribution:	M
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Wednesday 27 March 2019
Literature:	Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 27. Da Silva, M.C., Izidine, S. & Amude, A.B. (2004). A preliminary checklist of the vascular plants of Mozambique. Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 30 Sabonet, Pretoria Page 127. Goldblatt, P. (1993). Iridaceae Flora Zambesiaca 12(4) Pages 52 - 54. As Anomatheca laxa subsp. laxa (Includes a picture). Goldblatt, P. & Manning, J.C. (1995). Phylogeny of the African Genera Anomatheca and Freesia and a new genus Xenoscapa Systematic Botany 20(2) Page 171. Manning, J.C. & Goldblatt, P. (2010). Botany and Horticulture of the Genus Freesia (Iridaceae) Strelitzia 27 South African National Biodiversity Institute, Pretoria Pages 29 - 33. (Includes a picture). Phiri, P.S.M. (2005). A Checklist of Zambian Vascular Plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 32 Page 115.

Other sources of information about Freesia laxa subsp. laxa:

Our websites:

Flora of Malawi: Freesia laxa subsp. laxa
Flora of Zambia: Freesia laxa subsp. laxa

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Freesia laxa
African Plant Database: Freesia laxa
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Freesia laxa
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Freesia laxa
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Freesia laxa
Google: Web - Images - Scholar
iNaturalist: Freesia laxa
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Freesia laxa
JSTOR Plant Science: Freesia laxa
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Freesia laxa
Plants of the World Online: Freesia laxa
Tropicos: Freesia laxa
Wikipedia: Freesia laxa