Orthrosanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae first described as a genus in 1827. It is native to western and southern Australia and the Americas from Mexico to northwestern Argentina.Kew World Checklist of Selected Plant FamiliesWoodson, R.E. & Schery, R.W. (1945). Flora of Panama Part 3, Fasc. 1.. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 32: 34-43.Innes, C. (1985). The World of Iridaceae: 1-407. Holly Gare International Ltd., Ashington.Cooke, D.A. (1986). Flora of Australia 46: i-xii, 1-247. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.Henrich, J.E. & Goldblatt, P. (1987). A Review of the New World species of Orthrosanthus Sweet.. Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 74: 577-582.Espejo Serna, A. & López-Ferrari, A.R. (1996). Monocotiledóneas Mexicanas: una sinopsis florística 6: 43-59. Mexico City : Consejo Nacional de la Flora de Mexico.
The genus name is derived from the Greek words orthros, meaning "morning", and anthos, meaning "flower". They are known commonly as morning irises.
Description These are rhizomatous perennial herbs. The linear to sword-shaped leaves are arranged in a layered fan. The flowers are usually blue, except in one white-flowered species. This genus is closely related to the genus Libertia. The flowers are very similar, but Libertia flowers are usually white.
Species Orthrosanthus acorifolius (Kunth) Ravenna - Colombia, Venezuela Orthrosanthus chimboracensis (Kunth) Baker - Chiapas, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Brazil Orthrosanthus exsertus (R.C.Foster) Ravenna - Mexico, Honduras Orthrosanthus laxus (Endl.) Benth. - Western Australia Orthrosanthus monadelphusRavenna - southern Mexico, Central America Orthrosanthus muelleri Benth. Benth. - Western Australia Orthrosanthus multiflorus Sweet - Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria Orthrosanthus occissapungus (Ruiz ex Klatt) Diels - Peru, Bolivia, northwestern Argentina Orthrosanthus polystachyus Benth. - many-spike orthrosanthus - Western Australia
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