Overview
Diplarrhena moraea is a garden plant in the genus Diplarrhena, part of the Iridaceae family. It is native to Australia.
About
Diplarrhena moraea is a tufted perennial in the iris family notable for having only two functional stamens rather than the usual three found in Iridaceae. It produces basal, linear leaves that remain present throughout the year and an erect stem bearing single flowers from a green terminal spathe. The flowers are iris-like and zygomorphic, each with six white tepals and a style with two thread-like branches. Plants grow from short rhizomes and form discrete clumps that can be increased by division.
About the genus
Diplarrena is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The two species are endemic to Australia.
In the garden
Diplarrhena moraea is a small clump-forming perennial in the Iridaceae, native to Australia, distinguished botanically by its two functional stamens. Plants carry basal, narrow, flat leaves year-round and send up erect stems that produce a single iris-like flower from a green terminal spathe; each bloom is zygomorphic with six white tepals and a bifurcated style. The species grows from short rhizomes, so clumps can be propagated and spread by careful division when showing fresh growth. Flowers open singly, so siting where each terminal bloom can be appreciated — along a border edge, in a mixed rock or gravel bed, or grouped in a pot — makes best use of the plant’s form. Because the flowers arise from a terminal spathe on an upright stem, plant placement should allow an unobstructed view of the flower rather than deep crowding by coarser-leaved neighbours. Select the cultivar 'Amethyst Fairy' if you want larger flowers with darker markings on the inner tepals, as it is a selected form with more pronounced inner-tepal patterning compared with typical material.
Plant details
Diplarrhena moraea size, habit and characteristics
- Native to
- Australia