Bright, Bold and Beauitful

This is my first Sparaxis out, I do have some other colours but this common one seems to flower first. I have to keep them under control as they can spread and are hard to get rid of.

Luckily I took a few shots in my garden this morning before the strong warm Nor-west wind took hold knocking all my flowers about. It was has been lovely and warm and great for getting all the washing dry. The cold weather is on its way!

All About the Sparaxis
Sparaxis is one of the smaller genera of the family Iridaceae. The Iris family is a large group that is well represented in southern Africa and includes well-known genera such as Moraea , Watsonia and Gladiolus . The genus Sparaxis occurs only in the Cape Province and includes fifteen species. The extent of their occurrence ranges from Nieuwoudtville in the Northern Cape to Bredasdorp in the southwestern Cape.

The name Sparaxis is derived from the Greek word sparasso , meaning one tear, pertaining to the lacerated bracts of the flower. The specific epithet grandiflora is derived from the Latin words grandis, meaning full-grown and florus, meaning flower. This refers undoubtedly to the relatively large flowers present in this species with respect to the rest of the genus. It is not surprising, considering the beauty of this species, that it was introduced into horticultural circles quite some time ago.
For more information on the Sparaxis