Citation: Asch. & Graebner, Syn. Mitteleur. Fl. 3:518 (1906).

Synonymy: Vieusseuxia aristara Delaroche, Pl. Nov. Descr. 33 (1766). , Vieusseuxia aristata

Common name: None

Description:
Perennial 25-35 cm high; corm to 1.5 cm diam.; leaf solitary, linear, lax, 25-40 cm long, to 5 mm wide, glabrous; stem simple or once-branched, glabrous.

Spathes elliptic, herbaceous with dark-brown scarious attenuate apices, the outer bract c. 3 cm long, the inner ones 5-6 cm long, enclosing 2 or 3 flowers; flowers white with a bright ultramarine bearded central blotch; outer segments patent, with claws c. 12 mm long and suborbicular laminae c. 2 cm long; inner segments 1.5-2 cm long, blue-speckled, 3-fid, the middle lobe attenuate, patent, the lateral lobes shorter and obtuse; filaments three-quarters connate; style branches c. 7 mm long, white, with narrowly triangular crests c. 7 mm long.

Capsule clavate to cylindrical, erect, 1.5-2 cm long.

Distribution:  A garden escape on roadsides. S.Aust.: SL.   Native to the Cape Peninsula, South Africa, where almost extinct. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Sept., Oct.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: The other cultivated Moraea species with a conspicuously marked centre to the flower both have pubescent stems and/or leaves. M. neopavonia Foster has anthers far exceeding the style crests; M. villosa (Ker Gawler) Ker Gawler has anthers shorter than the style crests.

Author: Not yet available