About Calydorea xiphioides (Poepp.) Espinosa
Calydorea is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous, bulbous plants in the family Iridaceae that is native to Mexico and South America. Plants in this genus are small and have tunicated bulbs. Depending on the species, their flowers are light blue, violet, white, or yellow; the genus contains around twenty species total. Taxonomists have determined that the previously recognized separate genera Salpingostylis (endemic to Florida), Cardiostigma (from Mexico), Catila (from Brazil), and Itysa (from Venezuela) are not sufficiently distinct from one another to justify being kept as separate taxonomic groups. Because of this, all of these genera are now included within Calydorea. The genus name comes from the Greek words caly, meaning 'sheathed', and dorea, meaning 'spear'. The exoplanet Gliese 367 b takes its common name, tahay, from Calydorea xiphioides.
