Nemesia cheiranthus

Nemesia cheiranthus
Specimen found in Hantam National Botanical Garden, Nieuwoudtville, South Africa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Eudicots
(unranked):	Asterids
Order:	Lamiales
Family:	Plantaginaceae
Genus:	Nemesia
Species:	N. cheiranthus
Binomial name
Nemesia cheiranthus E.Mey. ex Benth.

Nemesia cheiranthus, also known as the Long-Eared Nemesia, is an annual herb native to South Africa, with white and yellow flowers, occasionally with purple markings. The upper petals are long and thin, there are two typically orange bulbous protuberances on the otherwise yellow lower lip, which may be centrally indented. The leaves are toothed and lance-shaped. It typically grows to 40 cm (16 in) and is distributed mainly in Namaqualand on sandy soils.^[1]

N. cheiranthus is a popular garden plant with two main cultivars, 'Shooting Stars' and 'Masquerade'.

References

1. Manning, John (2009). Field Guide to Wild Flowers of South Africa. Random House Struik. p. 464. ISBN 9781770077584.