Topic: Notta clue! - [Solved] Ixia rapunculoides (African Corn Lily)

[Patty S]

I keep waiting for these buds to open up, cuz I wanna know what the plant is called!  I've been watching it for a couple weeks now & it's finally starting to blossom.  I couldn't wait any longer to take a pic!
         

It comes from bulbs & the leaves are long & skinny... sorta like a Narcissus.  They'll open up to be full blossoms on really skinny, tall stalks that make you wonder how it can support the weight.
     

Last year they got trampled when a guy came to trim the hedge, so they were laying down & I didn't get a very good pic.  Nobody on GH could identify it. Here is what the blossoms will look like.
     

 For some reason I think it's in the Lily family.

[G-Mom]

Could this be it?

http://www.bloomingbulb.com/cartProductDetail.asp?ProductKey=1699&bulbs=Ixia&flower=Pink&parent=2601

Kind of looks like it 

Karen

[Tina]

Freesias, Patty.

[Patty S]

Now that it's blossomed out, I'm torn between Karen's Ixia & Tina's Freesia! The description given on the link that Karen posted says, "These hybrids bloom from March through June, opening sprays of elegant flowers on straw-like stems in gleaming shades pink. Plants grow best in full sun and reach a height of 16 inches" ...but these are easily taller than 2 feet!

The only description I can find for Freesia says that they're very fragrant (especially the pink varieties), but mine aren't... & I can't find any good pics of Freesia!   (Do you have these flowers in your yard, Tina?)

     

The greenery they are leaning over the top of, are Shasta Daisy leaves.  The stems & leaves of this flower are tied up with the string (looks like a rectangle) that you can see in a couple of these pics.

     

Sorry the pics arent very clear... there was a breeze blowing when I took these, & it's hard to get those things to keep still, on the ends of those "straw-like stems"!   

[Dianna]

I sure hope someone id's this flower. I want some of them blooming in my yard! Sure is pretty....

[Bonnie]

Don't know what it is, but it sure is pretty.

Bonnie

[patches]

Geesh, Patty, I don't have a clue either, but the pink flower is gorgeous!   

[plants n pots]

Patty - I could be wrong, but that doesn't look like freesia to me.
How many petals are on each flower - freesia has 6.  And they definitely have a wonderful, delicious fragrance - it's one of my favorite scented flowers!!!

The flower buds and stems do resemble freesia, but I'm not convinced about the open flower?

http://www.fiftyflowers.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=987

[Patty S]

These blossoms have 6 petals, Lynne, but they don't have any fragrance!  I smoke, so my "smeller" might be off, but I asked the neighbor lady what she thought today, & she said that she doesn't smell anything either.
     

I stood them up against the Pine tree branches & measured the stems... the shortest one is 3'2" & the longest are 4'2"!
         

[Tina]

I just don't know, Patty. Freesias don't grow that tall. At least I've never seen them that tall. Not all of my freesias were scented. But those don't look like freesias ant more. My ixias don't get that tall either.

[littlebrat]

It looks almost like an Asiatic Lily. Have you posted it at Garden Buggy? They might know. Very pretty Patty.

[Dianna]

Bugle lily would be my guess...

Watsonia coccinea

This might be a better picture for you....

[Patty S]

Watsonia sure looks like it Dianna, but no banana for you, cuz that's not it!

Since these flowers are on their way out now, I picked one of the stalks & took it down to our County Extension - Master Gardener's office to get an ID.
Karen's guess was right!

I found out that Ixia rapunculoides (African Corn Lily) is part of the Iris family, remarkable for the brilliancy of its flowers, & is found growing on granite & clay flats of South Africa. It's draught tolerant, has no fragrance, blooms around the same time & the same duration as lilacs, grows from corms, but also seeds readily. 

The only thing that didn't fit the descriptions they found was the height... they told me that could be because it's probably a hybrid.

[Dianna]

Yay! You found out what it is! I was wondering if we were ever gonna figure out it's name...

Good going, Karen!