Tigridia

For the butterfly genus, see Tigridia (butterfly).

Tigridia
Tigridia pavonia in Mexico
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Subfamily: Iridoideae
Tribe: Tigridieae
Genus: Tigridia
Juss.
Type species
Tigridia pavonia
Synonyms[1]
List
    • Ainea Ravenna in Bot. Not. 132: 467 (1979)
    • Beatonia Herb. in Bot. Mag. 66: t. 3779 (1840)
    • Cardiostigma Baker in J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 16: 102 (1877)
    • Colima (Ravenna) Aarón Rodr. & Ortiz-Cat. in Acta Bot. Mex. 65: 53 (2003)
    • Fosteria Molseed in Brittonia 20: 232 (1968)
    • Hydrotaenia Lindl. in Edwards's Bot. Reg. 24(Misc.): 69 (1838)
    • Pardinia Herb. in Edwards's Bot. Reg. 30(Misc.): 66 (1844)
    • Rigidella Lindl. in Edwards's Bot. Reg. 26: t. 16 (1840)
    • Sessilanthera Molseed & Cruden in Brittonia 21: 191 (1969)

Tigridia /taɪˈɡrɪdiə/,[2] is a genus of bulbous or cormous flowering plants belonging to the family Iridaceae. With common names including peacock flowers,[3] tiger-flowers or shell flowers, they have large showy flowers; and one species, Tigridia pavonia, is often cultivated for this. The approximately 60 species in this family grow in the Americas, from Mexico down to Chile.[1]

The tigridia flower is short lived, each often blooming for only one day, but often several flowers will bloom from the same stalk. Usually they are dormant during the winter dry-season. The roots are edible and were eaten by the Aztecs of Mexico who called it cacomitl, and its flower ocēlōxōchitl "jaguar flower".[4]

It was first published by French botanist Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in his book Genera plantarum on page 57 in 1789.[1]

The genus name Tigridia means "tiger-like", and alludes to the coloration and spotting of the flowers of the type species Tigridia pavonia.[5][6][7]

  1. ^ a b c "Tigridia Juss. | Plants of the World Online | Kew Science". Plants of the World Online. Retrieved 30 October 2023.
  2. ^ Sunset Western Garden Book, 1995:606–607
  3. ^ USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Tigridia​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 10 December 2015.
  4. ^ Davidse, G., M. Sousa Sánchez & A.O. Chater. 1994. Alismataceae a Cyperaceae. 6: i–xvi, 1–543. In G. Davidse, M. Sousa Sánchez & A.O. Chater (eds.) Fl. Mesoamer.. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México, D. F.
  5. ^ Manning, John; Goldblatt, Peter (2008). The Iris Family: Natural History & Classification. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. pp. 253–56. ISBN 978-0-88192-897-6.
  6. ^ Idárraga-Piedrahita, A., R. D. C. Ortiz, R. Callejas Posada & M. Merello. (eds.) 2011. Flora de Antioquia: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares 2: 9–939. Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín
  7. ^ Standley, P. C. & J. A. Steyermark. 1952. Iridaceae. In Flora of Guatemala - Part III. Fieldiana, Botany 24(3): 159–178