1268.010 Neomarica Sprague

Perennial herbs; rhizomes short. Leaves distichous; lamina broadly linear with a prominent costa. Inflorescence with peduncle compressed and leaf-like; 1 or few sub-sessile or pedunculate flower clusters. Flower blue, yellow or white; segments of the 2 rows very unlike, outer segments obovate, spreading; inner segments much smaller panduriform, convolute. Fruit a capsule, oblong, loculicidally trivalvate. Seeds sub-globose or angled by pressure with a brown testa and horny endosperm surrounded by a fleshy aril.

Worldwide: 21 species in Mexico to Trinidad and Brazil to North East Argentina.

Zimbabwe: 2 cultivated taxa.