''Ferraria'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

monocotyledon Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, ( Lilianae '' sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are flowering plants whose seeds contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. A monocot taxon has been in use for several decades, but with various ranks ...

ous

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Iridaceae Iridaceae () is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the Iris (plant), irises. It has a nearly global distribution, with 69 accepted genera with a total of about 2500 species. It includes a number of economically importan ...

, native to tropical and southern

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant Families
/ref> They are

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

corm Corm, bulbo-tuber, or bulbotuber is a short, vertical, swollen, underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ that some plants use to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat (perennation). The word ''c ...

-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar to rotting meat and are pollinated by

flies Flies are insects of the Order (biology), order Diptera, the name being derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek δι- ''di-'' "two", and πτερόν ''pteron'' "wing". Insects of this order use only a single pair of wings to fly, the hindwin ...

, while others have a pleasant scent. The genus name is a tribute to Italian Jesuit Botanist and botanical artist

Giovanni Baptista Ferrari Giovanni Baptista (also Battista) Ferrari (1 May 1584 in Siena – 1 February 1655 in Siena), was an Italian Jesuit, orientalist, university teacher and botanist. Linguistically highly gifted and an able scientist, at 21 years of age Ferrari ...

. They are grown as

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or ''garden plants'' are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars th ...

s in gardens in subtropical regions. ; Species * '' Ferraria brevifolia'' G.J.Lewis - Cape Province of South Africa * '' Ferraria candelabrum'' (Baker) Rendle - Angola, Zambia * ''

Ferraria crispa ''Ferraria crispa'' is a species of monocotyledonous flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is native to South Africa. In Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, t ...

'' Burm. (syn. ''F. undulata'') - Cape Province; naturalized in Spain, Australia, Canary Islands, Madeira * '' Ferraria densepunctulata'' M.P.de Vos - Cape Province * '' Ferraria divaricata'' Sw. - Cape Province * '' Ferraria ferrariola'' (Jacq.) Willd. - Cape Province * '' Ferraria flava'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Cape Province * '' Ferraria foliosa'' G.J.Lewis - Cape Province * '' Ferraria glutinosa'' (Baker) Rendle - from Cape Province north to Zaïre * '' Ferraria macrochlamys'' (Baker) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Cape Province * '' Ferraria ornata'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Cape Province * '' Ferraria ovata'' (Thunb.) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Cape Province * '' Ferraria parva'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Cape Province * '' Ferraria schaeferi'' Dinter - Cape Province, Namibia * '' Ferraria spithamaea'' (Baker) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Angola * '' Ferraria uncinata'' Sweet - Cape Province * '' Ferraria variabilis'' Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Cape Province, Namibia * '' Ferraria welwitschii'' Baker - Zaïre, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Angola

References

Other sources

Biodiversity South Africa: ''Ferraria''

UNEP-WCMC Species Database: ''Ferraria''

Germplasm Resources Information Network: ''Ferraria''

Namibia Biodiversity Database: ''Ferraria''

Flora of Zimbabwe: ''Ferraria''
Iridaceae Iridaceae genera Flora of the Afrotropical realm {{Iridaceae-stub