On Sun, 2 Nov 2008 18:10:52 +0900, "Loosecanon"
wrote:


"Richard Wright" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 01 Nov 2008 09:52:05 +1100, Richard Wright
wrote:

This plant with scarlet flowers is currently (early summer) growing in
a Sydney park. The environment is regularly mown lawn.

The plant is growing among buffalo grass, and the leaves look for all
the world like that grass. The leaves have only ribs, so I guess it is
a monocot.

There is a hazel nut sized, but oval shaped, brown corm at the base of
the stem.

What is this plant?

http://www.box.net/shared/static/ipl86k6m2j.jpg

Thanks to Peter and Loosecannon.

Following those leads, I now think it is a variety of Moraea miniata.

See, for example:

http://www.weeds.org.au/cgi-bin/weed...all&car d=H20

The leaves on the specimen I found have been severely truncated by
lawn mowing.

To be honest I have that one growing on my property and it is more of an
orange/pink flower whereas your photo shows the flower as red. Even though a
lawnmower has gone over it the leaf structure is different. I originally
thought is could be a Babiana and even a Tritonia but the reds in Babiana
are different and Tritonia's don't appear to come in red. The search goes on
I think....

Richard


You are right - the flower is scarlet.

I agree the search must go on.

To assist this I have posted a photo of the flower that shows more
detail.

The length of each petal is 9 mm. Note the brown base to the three
lower petals.

http://www.box.net/shared/static/zscyia95m1.jpg