Prairie Celestial
Nemastylis geminiflora Nutt.
Prairie celestials, Celestials, Prairie pleatleaf
Iridaceae (Iris Family)
Synonym(s): Ixia acuta, Nemastylis acuta
USDA Symbol: NEGE
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
The sky-blue flowers open in late morning and curl up before 3 in the afternoon, even on overcast days. Each flower only lasts one day. Once the seed has ripened, the bulb is renewed and the plant disappears until following spring. The bulbs colonize over time.
A member of the iris family (family Iridaceae) which consists of herbs growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, with narrow basal leaves and showy clusters at the tips of long stalks. There are about 60 genera and 1,500 species, distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Among them, Iris, Freesia, Gladiolus, Bugle Lily, and Montbretia are popular ornamentals. Saffron dye is obtained from Crocus, and essence of violets, used in perfumes, is extracted from the rhizomes of Iris.
Information from www.wildflower.org
Prairie Celestial
Nemastylis geminiflora Nutt.
Prairie celestials, Celestials, Prairie pleatleaf
Iridaceae (Iris Family)
Synonym(s): Ixia acuta, Nemastylis acuta
USDA Symbol: NEGE
USDA Native Status: L48 (N)
The sky-blue flowers open in late morning and curl up before 3 in the afternoon, even on overcast days. Each flower only lasts one day. Once the seed has ripened, the bulb is renewed and the plant disappears until following spring. The bulbs colonize over time.
A member of the iris family (family Iridaceae) which consists of herbs growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, with narrow basal leaves and showy clusters at the tips of long stalks. There are about 60 genera and 1,500 species, distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Among them, Iris, Freesia, Gladiolus, Bugle Lily, and Montbretia are popular ornamentals. Saffron dye is obtained from Crocus, and essence of violets, used in perfumes, is extracted from the rhizomes of Iris.
Information from www.wildflower.org