The small yellow flower asking to be flattened on a dusty path in Pledge Nature Reserve turned out to be the Moraea belendenii, one of 54/93 species endemic to the Western Cape. This region is probably the area of origin of Moreas. They are closely related to the well known iris but believed to have evolved independently from the Dietes, a genus exclusive to Africa. The corms were eaten by bushmen in the days of hunter-gathering.When I searched Morae on the internet, I found a company in Japan selling bulbs and an article about Moreas, written by a South African, in the Annals of the Missouri Botanical Gardens who are thinking about making single articles available for purchase. How about intellectual rights for plants?
November 1st 2007 Pledge Nature Reserve
