Known botanically as Tigridia, a genus of bulbous plants (natural order Iridaceae), natives of Mexico, Central America, Peru and Chile. They have long narrow plicately-veined leaves springing from the bulb and a stem bearing two or three scattered smaller leaves and above a few flowers emerging from a spathe. The flowers are spotted (whence the name tiger-flower or tiger-iris) and have free segments springing from a tube; the three large broad outer segments are concavely spreading, the three inner are much smaller and more erect.
T. pavonia (Flower of Tigris) has large flowers with a golden orange, white or yellow ground colour.