Moraea aristata

Moraea aristata (blue-eyed uintjie or Blouooguintjie in Afrikaans) is a critically endangered species of plant in the genus Moraea, that is endemic to the city of Cape Town and is now restricted to the grounds of the Observatory in the Cape Town suburb of Observatory.[1]

Moraea aristata
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Moraea
Species:
M. aristata
Binomial name
Moraea aristata
(D.Delaroche) Asch. & Graebn.

Moraea aristata is a winter-flowering bulb (geophyte) that produces large and striking flowers. The petals are white, but each has a large spot of iridescent blue at its base.
This plant naturally only occurs in Peninsula Shale Renosterveld vegetation in northern Cape Town. Due to the growth of the city, its habitat now mostly lies under urban sprawl. Consequently, it is critically endangered and naturally survives only in the grounds of the South African Astronomical Observatory in the suburb of Observatory near the foot of Devil's Peak. This tiny, isolated population is too small to be sustainable in the long term. In the wild, its natural pollinators are the Monkey beetles but these are also on the decline in the city of Cape Town.

In spite of its extraordinary rarity in the wild, it is easy to cultivate in sunny gardens with sandy or clay soils. [2]

References
  1. "Red List of South African Plants - Moraea aristata (D.Delaroche) Asch. & Graebn". South African National Biodiversity Institute (SANBI).
  2. "Moraea aristata | PlantZAfrica".

Further reading
  • Goldblatt: The Moraeas of Southern Africa. Annals of Kirstenbosch Botanic Gardent Vol.14 CTP Book Printers Cape 1986. ISBN 0-620-09974-7


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