''Ferraria'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...

monocotyledon Monocotyledons (), commonly referred to as monocots, (Lilianae ''sensu'' Chase & Reveal) are grass and grass-like flowering plants (angiosperms), the seeds of which typically contain only one embryonic leaf, or cotyledon. They constitute one of ...

ous

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 ...

s in the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

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 ...

, native to tropical and southern

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

.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 t ...

corm A 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 ' ...

-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar to rotting meat and are pollinated by flies, 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 (1584 in Siena – 1 February 1655 in Siena), was an Italian Jesuit and professor in Rome, a botanist, and an author of illustrated botanical books and a Syriac-Latin dictionary. Linguistically highly ...

. 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 that i ...

s in gardens in subtropical regions. ; Species * ''

Ferraria brevifolia ''Ferraria'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar t ...

'' G.J.Lewis - Cape Province of South Africa * '' Ferraria candelabrum'' (Baker) Rendle - Angola, Zambia * '' Ferraria crispa'' 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 ''Ferraria'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar t ...

'' Dinter - Cape Province, Namibia * ''

Ferraria spithamaea ''Ferraria'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar t ...

'' (Baker) Goldblatt & J.C.Manning - Angola * '' Ferraria uncinata'' Sweet - Cape Province * ''

Ferraria variabilis ''Ferraria'' is a genus of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar t ...

'' 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''

Flora of Namibia: ''Ferraria''

Flora of Zimbabwe: ''Ferraria''
Iridaceae Iridaceae genera Flora of Africa {{Iridaceae-stub