The genus Moraea can be divided into five groups: Galaxia, Gynandriris, Hexaglottis, Homeria, and Moraea.
Moraea index lists all the species in all five groups alphabetically.
Moraea group species N-R are found on this wiki page.
The other species in the Moraea group are listed alphabetically on these wiki pages: Moraea group A – Moraea group B – Moraea group C-E – Moraea group F – Moraea group G-I – Moraea group J-M – Moraea group S – Moraea group T – Moraea group U-V
Moraea natalensis grows in seasonally wet exposed areas from Kwa Zulu-Natal to tropical Africa. The lilac to blue violet flowers with yellow nectar guide edged with a mauve outline bloom in summer. Flowers open late morning. Photo by Audrey Cain.
Moraea neglecta is found growing in deep sandy soils in the northwest and southwest Cape and the Aguulhas coast blooming in spring. It has large yellow flowers with penciling on the nectar guide and opens at mid day. The first picture was taken by Bob Rutemoeller in the Bontebok Park in September 2003 where it was blooming close to the road. The other pictures were taken by Cameron McMaster in the Overberg, at Boskloof, Fairfield, and Napier. The last pictures show the seed capsules.
Moraea neopavonia, is now considered to be Moraea tulbaghensis by Manning and Goldblatt even though there is a physical difference between it and the forms formerly grown as Moraea tulbaghensis so some people still retain the old name for their plants. It is from the northwest and southwest Cape where it grows in clay flats in renosterveld. This form has larger flowers that open more fully. Spring flowering, this is an endangered species in the wild. The first picture of one grown in her Canberra garden was taken by Lyn Edwards. The next were taken by Alan Horstmann.
Photos below from Bob Werra.
Moraea papilionacea grows on mostly sandstone soils, sometimes granite or clay, in renosterveld and transitional fynbos in the south and southwest Cape. It flowers late winter to spring and is usually hairy with yellow or salmon flowers with yellow nectar guides. Flowers are fugacious. These pictures were taken near Paarl by Bob Rutemoeller September 2003 where there were many different color forms growing in the same location, salmon, yellow, and bicolored.
Photo taken of a yellow one at Drayton by Cameron McMaster and photos taken September 2003 near Brakenfell by Bob Rutemoeller and Mary Sue Ittner.
More photos by Bob Werra 
Moraea polyanthos is found growing on flats and lower slopes, mainly clay, in areas with year round rainfall, winter rainfall, and summer rainfall and blooms different times depending on its habitat. Flowers open midday and close in the late afternoon. This is one of the latest to bloom of the winter rainfall species I grow, sometimes not blooming until summer. Photos by Mary Sue Ittner and Alan Horstmann.
Moraea polystachya is a species from the winter and summer rainfall areas and a long blooming one that often blooms in late fall to early winter. The first photo was taken by Sheila Burrow, the second by Bill Dijk, and the third by Bob Rutemoeller. The last was taken in habitat in the Eastern Cape by Cameron McMaster.
Moraea ramosissima grows on damp sandy or stony flats and slopes from the Gifberg to the Eastern Cape. It is a tall plant with yellow flowers that blooms spring into summer. Deemed a shy bloomer, it appeas to be a plant that responds to fire. The first photo below by Mary Sue Ittner shows leaves appearing after a fire near Bainskloof where there were no signs of this plant in previous years. The second photo by Cameron McMaster taken near Napier in the Overberg shows the flower.
Moraea reticulata has a solitary habit (not clumping like some of the other yellow summer rainfall species.) It has a fibrous network like a fishnet enclosing the base of the stem and bracts. The flowers are bright yellow with orange nectar guides and a few darker veins on the outer tepals. Described first in 1973, it is an Eastern Cape species where it occurs on steep grassy slopes. Photos by Cameron McMaster showing a habitat shot and a close-up of the flower.
Galaxia – Gynandriris – Hexaglottis – Homeria A-J – Homeria K-Z – Moraea group A – Moraea group B – Moraea group C-E – Moraea group F – Moraea group G-I – Moraea group J-M – Moraea group S – Moraea group T – Moraea group U-V – Moraea index
Return to the PBS wiki Moraea page