Today's photographs are courtesy of Amir A. of Israel, who sent them along via email. Amir notes that this plant was grown from seed started two and a half years ago. Thanks for again sharing your photographs, Amir!

Moraea elegans is an endangered endemic found only in the Cape Province of South Africa. I suppose an English common name could be elegant moraea; in Afrikaans, it is known as poutulp. Originally named Moraea elegans by Jacquin, a Dutch scientist, it was later reclassified as Homeria elegans when Moraea was split. Subsequent understanding returned this species to its original name when Homeria was lumped back into Moraea. However, in an interesting little bureaucratic twist, and likely due to Homeria collina (now Moraea collina?; Moraea flaccida?), this endangered species would be considered a noxious weed in the USA (PDF), since all Homeria species are listed as weeds.

To read more about Moraea elegans, Plantzafrica from the South African National Biodiversity Institute has an excellent resource with a description of the species, the derivation of its name, habitat information, and ecological & growing requirements: Moraea elegans. The article also makes mention that the threat to the species in its native range is habitat loss due to food production. Fortunately for future conservation possibilities, it is (relatively) widespread in cultivation including a large group of plants harvested for seed at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

For additional photographs of the species formerly in Homeria but now in Moraea, see Homeria (Moraea) via the Pacific Bulb Society wiki. It includes additional photographs of Moraea elegans.