Salpingostylis Small is a genus of Iridaceae, tribe Tigridieae, with a single species that has previously been included in many different genera including Ixia, Nemastylis, and Calydorea. In their book on The Iris Family Goldblatt and Manning speculate with further DNA analysis, it may one day be included in Tigridia. In 2023, most authorities are listing the single species in this genus.
Salpingostylis coelestina Small, syn. Calydorea coelestina (W.Bartram) Goldblatt & Henrich, syn. Ixia coelestina W.Bartram, is a very rare endemic native to the piney woods of Central Florida, with a common name of Bartram's Ixia. It has a beautiful purple flower that opens in the morning and is closed a few hours later, but new ones keep opening on subsequent days. The flower is about 2 inches (5 cm) across. The first two photos were taken Sept. 2003 and one year later in July 2004 by Lee Poulsen. It was self-fertile and set seeds. The last photo shows it photographed by and blooming in the USDA zone 7 Maryland, USA garden of Jim McKenney on June 15, 2005. The flowers are fugacious: they are open early in the morning but begin to collapse by 10 A.M. on hot days. I'll bet there are people in Florida who mow this in their front lawns!
