Libertia
(named after Marie A. Libert, a Belgian lady, who wrote on botanical subjects). SYNS. Nematostigma, Renealmia (of Robert Brown). ORD. Irideae. A genus of eight species of ornamental, hardy or nearly hardy, perennial herbs, inhabiting Chili, Australia, and New Zealand. Perianth white or blue; inflorescence loosely corymbose-paniculate; spathes few-flowered. Leaves, radical ones distichous, narrow-linear, firm, densely crowded; stem ones terete. The majority of the species will prove tolerably hardy if provided with a slight protection in winter. All thrive on warm borders of light soil. Propagated by seeds, sown as described for Iris (which see); or by careful divisions, in spring.
L. formosa (handsome). fl. white, capitate; perianth six-parted, rotate, glabrous; tube none; pedicels light green; outer spathe bivalvular, repeated on the inner flowers, which expand in succession. May. l., root ones 6in. to 12in. long, 1/4in. to 1/2in. broad, linear-sword-shaped, acute; stem ones few, sheathing, uppermost about 1 1/2in. long. Stem 16in. high, simple. Chili, 1831. (B. M. 3294.) L. grandiflora (large-flowered). fl. pure white, disposed in spike-like panicles about 3ft. high. Summer. l. narrow, stout, about 2ft. long, and nearly 1/2in. broad. New Zealand, 1870.
L. ixioides (Ixia-like). fl. white, with pale yellow stamens, numerously disposed in closely-packed panicles. Summer. l linear, rigid, from 1 1/2ft. to 2ft. long, tufted. h. 2ft. to 4ft. New Zealand, 1865. Hardy. L. paniculata (panicled). fl., clusters umbel-like; perianth segments ovate, spreading; panicle oblong, loose, and irregular, often occupying half the stem. April. l. almost radical, grass-like, flaccid, 9in. to 18in. long, and mostly about 1/4in. broad. Stem 1ft. to 2ft. high, with sometimes a short leaf below the inflorescence. Australia, 1823. (B. M. 6263.) L. pulchella (pretty). fl., perianth segments narrower than in L. paniculata, and more nearly equal; rachis of the cluster often somewhat elongated, and sometimes a pedunculate cluster from the axil of the same bract; scape or peduncle from under 6in. to nearly 12in. long. April. l. rarely 6in. long, and two to three lines broad, often not above half that size. h. 1ft. Australia, 1823.