Tigridia is a genus of about 30 species mainly from Mexico and Guatemala. They produce a succession of short lived flowers which are usually in bright colours. The rootstock is a tunicated bulb, found from 3 to 15 cm deep in the wild. Bulbs are never found to offset in the wild. Leaves are pleated in a broad fan. The best known species is Tigridia pavonia whose flowers are 10-15cm (4 -6 inches) across in red, orange, yellow or white variously blotched in the centre. They commence growth in spring and generally die back during autumn. This genus was the subject of the topic of the week September 2003. An 
introduction was furnished by Alberto Castillo. The four species of Rigidella are related but have only a minute outer segment. Some authorities suggest they should be included in Tigridia but information about them is found on our Rigidella wiki page.
Tigridia chiapensis native to Mexico and found in wet meadows is dormant in winter and flowers in summer. Grown and photographed by Rob Hamilton in the first photo and shown growing in Chiapas in the next two photos taken by Alfredo Gómez López. One of them shows a plant with an extra stem, petal, etc. The last photo was taken by Mary Sue Ittner.
Tigridia dugesii is native to a semiarid area of Mexico. Grown and shown in the first photograph taken by Rob Hamilton. The second taken by Paul Tyerman is a close-up of the same species and the last two were photographed by Mary Sue Ittner at Telos Rare Bulbs.
Tigridia durangense, another summer grower from Mexico, is not an easy species to grow in a warm, humid climate, but the very striking flowers make it worth the effort. The flower diameter is approximately 40mm. Note the yellow, anther-like processes on the inner tepals - an interesting case of floral deception. The first photo shows a flower of plants grown and photographed by Rogan Roth. The next two were photographed at Telos Rare Bulbs by Mary Sue Ittner.
Tigridia ehrenbergii is a tall species (80cm) that grows in a dry tropical climate in Mexico in partially shaded places between 900 and 1600 meters. It's a very variable plant that is similiar to Tigridia hallbergii and Tigridia vanhouttei subsp. roldanii except that it has flowers with an unpleasant smell.
Tigridia ehrenbergii subsp. ehrenbergii from Puebla, Mexico. Photos by Verónica Chavez.
Tigridia ehrenbergii subsp. flavigera is the other subspecies.
Tigridia flammea syn. Rigidella flammea see Rigidella
Tigridia hallbergii, a plant that is 30-60 cm. high, is distributed in Oaxaca and Chiapas, Mexico and in Guatemala where it grows in open pine forest in moist soils in partial shade at 900 to 3000 m. Photos taken by Alfredo Gómez, from San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.
via Rafa Diez Dominguez.
There are two subspecies: Tigridia hallbergii subsp. hallbergii and Tigridia hallbergii subsp. lloydi
Tigrida meleagris This Mexican species is quite common and I have seen it out in the field far more often than I've seen some of its cousins. Unfortunately, the plant is very spindly and difficult to spot. There is usually one solitary, narrow, pleated leaf up to 35 cm. in length on top of a stiff, wiry stem. It grows in deciduous jungle habitat 1000-1500 meters above sea level that has very pronounced rainy and dry seasons. During the rainy season this habitat is very lush and full of an exuberance of vegetation of all kinds. Consequently, this species tends to be be tall in order to grow higher than the other plants that tend to crowd it out where it grows. I have found this species difficult to cultivate because the potting medium needs to be bone-dry in the dry season to prevent the bulbs from rotting. The bulbs of this plant in the wild are difficult to extract from the ground without damaging them because they extend down into the soil up to 30 cm. deep and like growing in pockets of soil among rocks. Unlike most other species of Tigridia, the flowers of this species are pendulous and are not held erect. I have never found this species to offset in the wild and it reproduces exclusively by seed. It flowers from July-September in its natural habitat. Photos by Dennis Szeszko of a plant photographed in the month of August in-situ in Mexico State near the border with Michoacan. The last two photos are of interior and and side views of the flowers in-situ
Tigridia mexicana is native to parts of Mexico with pronounced rainy and dry seasons. It grows in clay pans subject to seasonal flooding in full sun at an altitude of around 1750 meters in the transition zone between oak forest and deciduous brush jungle. It flowers at the beginning of the rainy season in its native habitat (end of May through beginning of June). The flowers appear at the top of a 8-10 inch tall inflorescence before the pleated leaves have fully extended. The bulbs grow deep about 8-10 inches under the compacted soil and are difficult to dig up without damaging the bulbs. The bulbs do not offset but grow quickly and easily from seed. Tigridia mexicana was seen growing near Sprekelia formosissima, Milla biflora, Sacoila lanceolatus (terrestrial orchid), Sisyrinchium sp., and Echeandia sp. These other geophytic species were observed growing in rocky areas at the edges of the areas prone to flooding where Tigridia mexicana grows. The first two pictures were of cultivated plants. The remainder of the photos were taken in situ in Mexico State. Photos by Dennis Szeszko show flower closeups (top view, side view) from cultivated plant and flowers being pollinated by honeybees (Note clay soil and just emerging leaves) and close-up of flower in situ..
Small colony of Tigrida mexicana in situ with Ruellia sp. (purple flowers) in the first photo and wide-angle view of habitat showing Opuntia sp. and scrub-brush (Note little yellow flowers) in the second. Photos by Dennis Szeszko.
Tigridia multiflora is native to Mexico and semitropical. Photo by Paul Tyerman.
Tigridia orthantha syn Rigidella orthantha See Rigidella
Tigridia pavonia is native to Mexico and semitropical to semialpine. It is a summer grower, dormant in winter. The first two photos were taken by Rob Hamilton and show a self yellow form and a tangerine self from the same seedling clump. In the third photo a pink/red flowered form was photographed by Jim McKenney in his garden on August 10, 2005. The flower began to open between 6:30 A.M. and 7 A.M. and began to close at around 4 P.M. These are not flowers for the working person! The fourth one was grown by and photographed by Ellen Hornig who wrote: "This is a photo of Tigridia pavonia 'Sunset in Oz' , a chance seedling that appeared at Seneca Hill Perennials. Oswego, NY, sometimes referred to locally as "Oz", is famous for its beautiful sunsets over Lake Ontario." The last picture, also from Ellen is an unspotted red form, a seedling of 'Sunset in Oz'. Ellen writes: "For shear screaming flower-power it's hard to beat."
The first photo below taken by Paul Tyerman is a white and red form of the same species and the second one is a yellow one grown from seed that bloomed quickly from seed, but is not happy growing in a pot on the Northern California coast. Photo by Bob Rutemoeller. The third one below is a red form, from a collection made by Yucca Do (#T73-33) at a much lower, and hotter, elevation than what they claim the typical form the Dutch have propagated was collected from. (Apparently, none of the Dutch ones survive at their nursery located in Central Texas; this one does, and multiplies as well.) It is very large, approx. 6 inches (15 cm) across. Photo taken Sept. 2003 by Lee Poulsen. The fourth was taken by Dennis Kramb in Cincinnati who wrote: "This unusual blended-color Tigridia bloomed for me this year, from stock obtained from Brent & Becky's Bulb Company. By Dennis Kramb in Cincinnati."
These four photos demonstrate some of the color variations found in flowers of Tigridia pavonia grown from one collection of seeds harvested from wild plants. These plants flowered only two years after sowing the seeds. Photos by Dennis Szeszko
Tigridia vanhouttei is native to a semiarid part of Mexico. Photo by Paul Tyerman.
Tigridia violacea is another Mexican summer flowering species. Photo by Dennis Szeszko.
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