Jubeichan 2: The Counterattack of Siberia Yagyu Anime, 2004, TV

Freesia is a genus of herbaceous perennial flowering crops in the family Iridaceae, first described as a genus in 1866 by Chr. Fr. Echlon (1795-1868) and called after German botanist and doctor Friedrich Freese (1794-1878). It is local to the eastern part of southern Africa, from Kenya south to South Africa, most types being found in Cape Provinces. Varieties of the past genus Anomatheca are actually included in Freesia. The vegetation commonly known as "freesias", with fragrant funnel-shaped plants, are cultivated hybrids of lots of Freesia species. Some other types are also produced as ornamental crops.

They may be herbaceous plant life which grow from a conical corm 1-2.5 cm diameter, which delivers up a tuft of thin leaves 10-30 cm long, and a sparsely branched stem 10-40 cm tall bearing a few leaves and a loose one-sided spike of plants with six tepals. Many species have fragrant narrowly funnel-shaped bouquets, although those previously put in the genus Anomatheca, such as F. laxa, have chiseled flowers. Freesias are being used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Large Yellowish Underwing.

CULTIVATION AND USES

The plant life usually called "freesias" are derived from crosses manufactured in the 19th century between F. refracta and F. leichtlinii. Numerous cultivars have been bred from these types and the red- and yellow-flowered varieties of F. corymbosa. Modern tetraploid cultivars have blooms ranging from white to yellow, green, red and blue-mauve. They are really mostly cultivated expertly in the Netherlands by about 80 growers.[3] Freesias can be immediately increased from seed. Because of the specific and desirable scent, they are generally used in hands creams, shampoos, candles, etc.[citation needed], however, the blossoms are mainly utilized in wedding bouquets. They could be planted in the land in USDA Hardiness Areas 9-10 (i.e. where the temperature does not fall below about -7 ?C (20 ?F)), and in the spring in Zones 4-8.

Freesia laxa (previously called Lapeirousia laxa or Anomatheca cruenta) is one of the other varieties of the genus which is commonly cultivated. Smaller than the scented freesia cultivars, they have flat rather than cup-shaped blooms. Extensive 'forcing' of this bulb occurs in Half Moon Bay in California where several growers chill the lights in proprietary solutions to satisfy cold dormancy which results in development of buds within the predicted range of weeks - often 5 weeks at 55 ?F (13 ?C).

Herbaceous vegetation (in botanical use frequently simply herbs) are plants that have no consistent woody stem above ground. Herbaceous plant life may be annuals, biennials or perennials. Annual herbaceous plants perish completely by the end of the growing season or when they have flowered and fruited, and they then expand again from seed. Herbaceous perennial and biennial crops may have stems that die at the end of the growing season, but elements of the plant make it through under or near to the ground from season to season (for biennials, until the next growing season, when they rose and die). New growth develops from living tissues staying on or under the ground, including roots, a caudex (a thickened portion of the stem at ground level) or numerous kinds of underground stems, such as light bulbs, corms, stolons, rhizomes and tubers. Examples of herbaceous biennials include carrot, parsnip and common ragwort; herbaceous perennials include potato, peony, hosta, mint, most ferns & most grasses. By contrast, non-herbaceous perennial plants are woody plants which have stems above floor that stay alive during the dormant season and develop shoots another year from the above-ground parts - these include trees, shrubs and vines.

Freesia Wallpaper