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{{Taxobox
{{SPlantbox
| name = ''Sparaxis''
|familia=Iridaceae
| image = Sparaxis-IMG 8734.jpg
|genus=Sparaxis
| image_width = 250px
|common_name=Harlequin flower
| image_caption = Wandflower, ''[[Sparaxis tricolor]]''
|name_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
|habit=bulbous
| divisio = [[flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
|habit_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia
| classis = [[monocotyledon|Liliopsida]]
|lifespan=perennial
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
|exposure=sun
| familia = [[Iridaceae]]
|water=moderate
| genus = '''''Sparaxis'''''
|Temp Metric=°F
| genus_authority = [[John Bellenden Ker Gawler|Ker Gawl.]]
|image=Sparaxis-IMG 8734.jpg
| subdivision_ranks = Species
|image_width=240
| subdivision =
|image_caption=Wandflower, ''[[Sparaxis tricolor]]''
}}
}}
Describe genus here...
{{Inc|
Sparaxis (Greek word referring to the torn or lacerated spathes, a character which distinguishes this genus from Tritonia). Iridaceae. Wand-flower. Bulbs or corms with fibrous coating, the plants suitable for outdoor planting but grown mostly under glass.
Stems simple or slightly branched: lvs. few, flat, sword-like or broadly linear, erect or falcate: spathes few, remote or sometimes solitary, broad-striate or frequently marked with short brown lines: fls. 1 to a spathe, sessile, rather large, yellow; perianth-tube short and slender, 6-lobed; ovary 3-celled: caps. membranaceous, ovoid or oblong, included in the spathe.—About 3 species, Cape Colony, S. Afr. Sparaxis is a group of spring-blooming Cape bulbs of the Ixia tribe, with spikes of 6-petaled, more or less funnel-shaped fls. 1-2 in. across and exhibiting an extraordinary range of color and throat - markings. These plants are less popular than ixias, which they much resemble. The plants are dwarfer and more compact than ixias, usually 6-12 in. high, the spikes are shorter and fewer-fld., and the blossoms are sometimes larger. Sparaxis is essentially distinguished from Ixia and other allied genera by the subregular perianth, unilateral and arcuate stamens, and scarious lacerated spathe-valves.
Although a few plants of sparaxis are occasionally cultivated in America by bulb-fanciers, one may search through many American catalogues without finding them listed. The Dutch bulb-growers offer twenty-five distinct kinds, which is perhaps a quarter of the number of varieties of ixias in cultivation. According to J. G. Baker, there is "only one species in a broad sense, varying indefinitely in the size and coloring of the flowers." For practical purposes Baker recognizes the three species given below; of these the most important and variable is S. tricolor. Sparaxis pulcherrima of the Dutch trade is properly Dierama pulcherrima, Baker. This grows as much as 6 feet high and has pendulous bright blood-purple flowers but apparently with pale rose and perhaps other varieties (also a white variety). It is distinguished by its pendulous flowers with regular perianth, simple style-branches, equilateral stamens, and large bracts which are not laciniate.
{{SCH}}
}}
==Cultivation==
===Propagation===
===Pests and diseases===
==Species==
about 13 species{{wp}}
*''[[Sparaxis bulbifera]]'' is the commonest in cultivation, with flowers from cream to yellow or purple. {{wp}}
*''[[Sparaxis fragrans]]''
*''[[Sparaxis grandiflora]]'' is a similar to S. bulbifera but larger plant. {{wp}}
*''[[Sparaxis tricolor]]'' has bright red flowers with yellow and black centres. {{wp}}
*''[[Sparaxis variegata]]'' {{wp}}
Many named hybrid [[cultivar]]s were bred from ''S. bulbifera'' and ''S. tricolor''. {{wp}}
A group of species with asymmetrical flowers marked in mauve and yellow, including ''[[Sparaxis variegata]]'' and ''[[Sparaxis villosa]]'', was formerly treated as the genus ''Synnotia''.{{wp}}
==Gallery==
<gallery perrow=5>
Image:Sparaxis-IMG 8733.jpg|Sparaxis plants
Image:Sparaxis-IMG 8847.jpg|Sparaxis plants
Image:Upload.png| photo 3
</gallery>
==References==
<references/>
<!--- xxxxx *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381 -->
<!--- xxxxx *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432 -->
<!--- xxxxx *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608 -->
== References ==
==External links==
*{{wplink}}
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