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{{Taxobox
| color = lightgreen
| name = ''Freesia''
| image = Freesia.jpg
| image_width = 240px
| image_caption = Cultivated freesias
| regnum = [[Plantae]]
| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
| classis = [[Liliopsida]]
| ordo = [[Asparagales]]
| familia = [[Iridaceae]]
| genus = '''''Freesia'''''
| genus_authority = [[Friedrich Wilhelm Klatt|Klatt]]
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
See text.
}}

'''''Freesia''''' (Ecklon ex Klatt) is a [[genus]] of 14-16 species of [[flowering plant]]s in the family [[Iridaceae]], native to [[Africa]]. Of the 14 species, 12 are native to [[Cape Province]], [[South Africa]], the remaining two to tropical Africa, one species extending north of the equator to [[Sudan]].

The genus was named in honor of Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese (1795-1876), German physician.

They are [[herbaceous]] plants which grow from a [[corm]] 1-2.5 cm diameter, which sends up a tuft of narrow [[leaf|leaves]] 10-30 cm long, and a sparsely branched stem 10-40 cm tall bearing a few leaves and a loose one-sided spike of fragrant narrowly funnel-shaped [[flower]]s.

;Species
*''[[Freesia alba]]''
*''[[Freesia andersoniae]]''
*''[[Freesia caryophyllacea]]''
*''[[Freesia corymbosa]]''
*''[[Freesia fergusoniae]]''
*''[[Freesia fucata]]''
*''[[Freesia grandiflora]]''
*''[[Freesia iwuzhere]]''
*''[[Freesia laxa]]'' (syn. ''Anomatheca laxa'', ''Lapeirousia laxa'')
*''[[Freesia leichtlinii]]''
*''[[Freesia occidentalis]]''
*''[[Freesia refracta]]''
*''[[Freesia sparrmannii]]''
*''[[Freesia speciosa]]''
*''[[Freesia verrucosa]]''
*''[[Freesia viridis]]'' (syn. ''Anomatheca viridis'')

Freesias are used as food plants by the [[larva]]e of some [[Lepidoptera]] species including [[Large Yellow Underwing]].

===Cultivation and uses===
Freesias are very popular [[garden]] plants, grown for their often strongly scented flowers. The most commonly cultivated species is ''F. refracta'', which was crossed with ''F. leichtlinii'' in the 19th century. Numerous [[cultivar]]s have been bred from these species and the pink- and yellow-flowered forms of ''F. corymbosa''. Modern [[tetraploid]] cultivars have flowers ranging from white to yellow, pink, red and blue-mauve. They are widely cultivated and readily increased from seed. Due to their specific and pleasing scent, they are often used in hand creams, shampoos, candles, etc.

==References==
Goldblatt, P. (1982) Systematics of ''Freesia'' Klatt (Iridaceae) J. South African Bot. 48:39-93.
*[http://freesia.co.nr/ info and pictures]
*[http://www.bulbsociety.org/GALLERY_OF_THE_WORLDS_BULBS/GRAPHICS/Freesia/Freesialist.shtml Bulbsociety: ''Freesia'']
*[http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantefg/freesalba.htm PlantZAfrica: ''Freesia'']
*[http://www.museums.org.za/bio/plants/iridaceae/freesia.htm Iziko Museum, South Africa: ''Freesia'']

[[Category:Iridaceae]]