''Alophia drummondii'', commonly called propeller flower, is a species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...

in the family

Iridaceae Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016). It include ...

. It is native to the North and South America, where it ranges from the U.S. states of

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

and

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

southward into Mexico. There is also an apparent disjunct population in Paraguay. Its natural habitat is in sandy soils of open prairies and woodlands, often growing around partially shaded forest edges. ''Alophia drummondii'' is an herbaceous perennial with a bulbous base. Its leaves are linear-lanceolate and folded along the midrib. Each plant produces a few flowers, which only last a single day. Its tepals are dark purple with a yellow and reddish-brown base. It typically blooms from May to July.

References

{{taxonbar, from=Q15557296 Iridaceae