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Freesia
	Cultivated freesias
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Embryophytes
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Spermatophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Subfamily:	Crocoideae
Tribe:	Freesieae
Genus:	Freesia; Eckl. ex Klatt
Type species
	Freesia refracta; (Jacquin) Klatt
Synonyms
	Anomatheca Ker Gawl.; Nymanina Kuntze;

Freesia is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1866 by Christian Friedrich Ecklon (1886) and named after the German botanist and medical practitioner, Friedrich Freese (1795–1876). It is native to the eastern side of southern Africa, from Kenya south to South Africa, most species being found in Cape Provinces.^[1] Species of the former genus Anomatheca are now included in Freesia.^[1] The plants commonly known as "freesias", with fragrant funnel-shaped flowers, are cultivated hybrids of a number of Freesia species. Some other species are also grown as ornamental plants.

Description

They are herbaceous plants which grow from a conical corm 1–2.5 cm (1⁄2–1 in) diameter, which sends up a tuft of narrow leaves 10–30 cm (4–12 in) long, and a sparsely branched stem 10–40 cm (4–16 in) tall bearing a few leaves and a loose one-sided spike of flowers with six petals. Many species have fragrant narrowly funnel-shaped flowers, although those formerly placed in the genus Anomatheca, such as F. laxa, have flat flowers.

Freesias are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the large yellow underwing.^{[citation needed]}

Systematics

The genus was named in honor of Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese (1795–1876), a German physician.^[2]

Species^[1]

Freesia andersoniae L.Bolus - the Cape Provinces, Free State
Freesia caryophyllacea (Burm.f.) N.E.Br. (syn. F. elimensis L.Bolus, F. parva N.E.Br., F. xanthospila (DC.) Klatt) - Heuningrug region in the Cape Provinces
Freesia corymbosa (Burm.f.) N.E.Br. (syn. F. armstrongii W.Watson, F. brevis N.E.Br., F. aurea Hend., F. odorata (G.Lodd. ex Bosse) Eckl. ex Klatt) - the Cape Provinces
Freesia fergusoniae L.Bolus - the Cape Provinces
Freesia fucata J.C.Manning & Goldblatt - Hoeks River Valley in the Cape Provinces
Freesia grandiflora (Baker) Klatt - Zaire, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Eswatini, northeastern South Africa
Freesia laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning (syn. F. cruenta (Lindl.) Klatt) - from Rwanda + Kenya south to the Cape Provinces; naturalized in Madeira, Mauritius, Réunion, Australia, Florida, Argentina
Freesia leichtlinii Klatt (syn. F. middlemostii F.Barker, F. muirii N.E.Br., Freesia alba G.L.Mey. = F. leichtlinii subsp. alba (G.L.Mey.) J.C.Manning & Goldblatt) - the Cape Provinces; naturalized in Corsica, California, Florida, Argentina
Freesia marginata J.C.Manning & Goldblatt - the Cape Provinces
Freesia occidentalis L.Bolus (syn. F. framesii L.Bolus) - the Cape Provinces
Freesia praecox J.C.Manning & Goldblatt - the Cape Provinces
Freesia refracta (Jacq.) Klatt (syn. F. hurlingii L.Bolus) - the Cape Provinces; naturalized in France, Canary Islands, Madeira, Bermuda, St. Helena
Freesia sparrmanii (Thunb.) N.E.Br. - Langeberg in the Cape Provinces
Freesia speciosa L.Bolus (syn. F. flava (E.Phillips & N.E.Br.) N.E.Br.) - the Cape Provinces
Freesia verrucosa (B.Vogel) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning (syn. F. juncea (Pourr.) Klatt) - the Cape Provinces
Freesia viridis (Aiton) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Namibia, the Cape Provinces

Species of the former genus Anomatheca are now included in Freesia:^[1]

Anomatheca cruenta Lindl. = Freesia laxa subsp. laxa
Anomatheca grandiflora Baker = Freesia grandiflora
Anomatheca juncea (Pourr.) Ker Gawl. = Freesia verrucosa
Anomatheca laxa (Thunb.) Goldblatt = Freesia laxa
Anomatheca verrucosa (B.Vogel) Goldblatt = Freesia verrucosa
Anomatheca viridis (Aiton) Goldblatt = Freesia viridis
Anomatheca xanthospila (DC.) Ker Gawl. = Freesia caryophyllacea

Cultivation and uses

The plants usually called "freesias" in horticulture and floristry are derived from crosses made in the 19th century between Freesia refracta and Freesia leichtlinii. Numerous cultivars have been bred from these species and the pink- and yellow-flowered forms of Freesia corymbosa. Modern tetraploid cultivars have flowers ranging from white to yellow, pink, red and blue-mauve. They are mostly cultivated professionally in the Netherlands by about 80 growers.^[3] Freesias can be readily increased from seed. Due to their specific and pleasing scent, they are often used in hand creams, shampoos, candles, etc.^{[citation needed]}; however, the flowers themselves are mainly used in wedding bouquets.

Freesia laxa (formerly called Lapeirousia laxa or Anomatheca cruenta) is one of the other species of the genus which is commonly cultivated. Smaller than the scented freesia cultivars, it has flat rather than cup-shaped flowers.^[4]^[5]

Freesia plants in native habitat
Freesia alba (F. leichtlinii subsp. alba)
Freesia caryophyllacea
Freesia corymbosa
Freesia grandiflora
Freesia laxa
$Freesia refracta (garden cultivar)$

Freesia refracta (garden cultivar)
Variety of freesia cultivars
Mauve-colored freesia cultivar
Freesia verrucosa
Freesia viridis in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Volume 31: t. 1275, as Tritonia viridis
Freesia viridis subsp. crispifolia

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e Search for "Freesia", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2012-08-13
^ Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2008). The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 149–52. ISBN 978-0-88192-897-6.
^ Dutch flowerpaper, Bloemenkrant, publisher Verhagen, week 12-2015, see also http://issuu.com/twovisions/docs/bk_week_12_15?e=1360358/11894263
^ Mathew, Brian (1987), The Smaller Bulbs, London: B.T. Batsford, ISBN 978-0-7134-4922-8, p. 9
^ Innes, Clive (1985), The World of Iridaceae, Ashington, UK: Holly Gate International, ISBN 978-0-948236-01-3, p. 18

Bibliography

Manning, John C.; Goldblatt, Peter (2010). Botany and horticulture of the genus Freesia (Iridaceae). Strelitzia vol. 27. Pretoria: South African National Biodiversity Institute, SANBI. ISBN 978-1-919976-58-7.
Goldblatt, P. (1982) Systematics of Freesia Klatt (Iridaceae) J. South African Bot. 48:39-93.

External links

Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Freesia" . Encyclopædia Britannica (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Freesias photos of International Bulb Society
Freesias photos of Pacific Bulb Society
PlantZAfrica: Freesia
Freesia info and pictures Archived 2011-04-30 at the Wayback Machine (in Spanish)
How to grow freesia in warm climates