Prairie nymph (Herbertia lahue)
Description
Plants (6-)8-15(-24) cm. Bulbs (10-)15-20 mm diam. Stems simple or 1-3 branched, branching usually from base. Leaves 4-6, mostly basal, - reaching base of inflorescence, cauline leaves often entirely sheathing; blade - linear, 4-6 mm wide. Rhipidia (1-)2-5-flowered; outer spathe ca. 2/3 to - equaling inner, inner (35-)40-50 mm, apex becoming dry. Tepals bluish purple to violet; outer spreading, lanceolate, 23-28 - 15-18 mm, flaccid, claws white at base, speckled with violet, 6-7 mm; inner violet, darkest on claws, ca. 8-12 - 3 mm; filament column ca. 5 mm; anthers recurving soon after dehiscence, 7-10 mm; ovary oblong, 5-7 mm; style branches 5-6 mm, forked apically for ca. 2.5 mm. Capsules ovoid-oblong-truncate, 15-25 mm. Seeds ca. 2.5 mm. Flowering mid Mar--early May. Woodlands and prairies, most common near coast; Fla., La., Tex.; South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay).
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Iridaceae
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Genus: Herbertia
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