Dietes BUTCHERIANA - Forest wild iris, Butcher's dietes, Dietes butcheriana.
Dietes is a genus of evergreen rhizomatous perennials of the Iridaceae family, comprising only 6 species naturally distributed in Southern and Central Africa, and on the Australian Lord Howe Island. Several species have successfully naturalized in other parts of the world.
They grow in shady, misty coastal forests on forest litter, on steep shaded slopes, and on forest margins.
Plants have basal, erect, linear, sword-shaped, leathery leaves. Branching stems bear successively arranged, flat, individual, short-lived, iris-like flowers. Flowers bloom on stems up to 1 m (3.3 ft) high.
Not all species bloom profusely and showily, but they have attractive foliage. Some species thrive even in deep shade.
Dietes butcheriana is a perennial rhizomatous plant with broad leaves gathered in a fan. The leaves are dark green, wide, rigid, sword-shaped, 0.5-1.2 m (1.6-3.9 ft) long, 2.5-5 cm (1-2 in) wide, erect, with a prominent central vein.
Flowers are large, up to 6 cm (2.4 in) in diameter, white, with apricot, orange, or orange-brown markings (with yellow spots) on the perianth tepals (more pronounced on outer tepals than on inner ones). Peduncles are sturdy, shorter than the leaves. The flowers are self-pollinating.
Seed capsules are quite large, 2.5-3.5 cm (1-1.4 in) long and 2 cm (0.8 in) in diameter, nodding. Upon ripening, capsules do not dehisce completely, but only at the apex. Ripe capsules remain on the plant for several months. Black seeds spill out of the capsule gradually as it degrades and decomposes.