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. Species of the former genus Anomatheca are now included in Freesia. 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 diameter, which sends up a tuft of narrow leaves long, and a sparsely branched stem 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.
Systematics The genus was named in honor of Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese (1795–1876), a German physician.
SpeciesSearch for "Freesia",
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: 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.Dutch flowerpaper, Bloemenkrant, publisher Verhagen, week 12-2015, see also http://issuu.com/twovisions/docs/bk_week_12_15?e=1360358/11894263 Freesias can be readily increased from seed.
The flowers themselves are mainly used in wedding bouquets. The flower's fragrance cannot be extracted with a solvent; in the early 1980s International Flavors & Fragrances used their "Living Flowers" headspace technology to analyze live freesia blooms and the analysis was used for the first time in a fragrance: Antonia's Flowers (1984).
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., p. 9, p. 18
References
Bibliography
Goldblatt, P. (1982) Systematics of Freesia Klatt (Iridaceae) J. South African Bot. 48:39-93.
External links
Freesias photos of International Bulb Society Freesias photos of Pacific Bulb Society PlantZAfrica: Freesia Freesia info and pictures How to grow freesia in warm climates