tiger-flower

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tiger-flower

plant

Also known as: Tigridia, aztec city, shell flower

Written and fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Article History

Also called:: shell flower

Related Topics:: Iridaceae

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tiger-flower, (genus Tigridia), genus of about 35 species of flowering plants of the iris family (Iridaceae) native from Mexico to Chile. One tiger-flower, also known as Mexican shell flower (Tigridia pavonia), is cultivated for its attractive flowers and was once prized by the Aztecs for the chestnut flavour of its bulblike corms.

Tiger-flowers are perennial plants that emerge from bulbs or corms. The flowers, in a range of colours including orange-red, have three lower floral parts alternating with three much smaller petals, all with a spotted cup at the centre. They are held by 60-centimetre (2-foot) stems among sparse swordlike leaves.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.