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| Online Flora of the Maltese Islands by Stephen Mifsud |
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Freesia × kewensis (Red river Freesia) |
Freesia × kewensis (IRIDACEAE.)
Images for this profile are taken from the Maltese Islands after year 2000.
Website launch: Oct-2002
Taxonomic update: Aug-2026
Code update: Jul-2026 |
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| Nomenclature and General Information |
Species name : |
Freesia × kewensisJ.Wright
Published in J. Hort. Cottage Gard. 48: 179 (1904) |
Synonyms :
(basionym or principal syn.) |
No Main Synonyms |
Plant Family : |
Iridaceae Juss. (The Iris Family)
23 species from the Iridaceae family are recorded from the Maltese Islands. | English name(s) : | Red river Freesia, Ambiance Freesia, Port Salute Freesia |
Maltese name(s) : |
Friżja tal-ġonna |
Status for Malta : |
Casual or accidental alien. Species that was introduced in Malta rather recently and normally it is short-lived
or resticted to small populations for a short time, without becoming widespread or invasive. |
Frequency : |
Very Common Common Frequent Scarce Rare Very rare Extinct |
Growth form : |
Germination type [info]: Monocotyledon
Raunkiaer lifeform [info]: Geophyte ( perennials bearing underground bulbs, tubers, rhizomes, stolons, etc. ) |
Legal Protection : |
Not legally protected till the last update of this website (22/Aug/2025) |
Red List (1989) : |
Not listed in the Red Data Book of the Maltese Islands |
Flowering Time : |
February – March |
Colour of Flowers: |
Yellow, Lilac or Red |
Toxicity: |
Not particularly toxic |
Name Derivation : |
Freesia: ()
kewensis: ()
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Planting in rural areas : |
Cannot be planted in the wild (rural areas) since the species may be invasive (see ERA guidelines) |
Remarks : |
An artificial hybrid between Freesia refracta and F. amstrongii with further backcrosses forming a large variety of different colours which are sold commercially. |
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Description, Habitat and Distribution | |
Botanical Description |
Data will be available in the next update of this website. | |
Habitat in Europe |
Cultivated for ornament and naturalized
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Preferred habitat in Malta |
Road sides, field margins, urban areas, escapees near farm houses and countryside dwellings
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Native region outside Europe |
UK (artificial hybrid)
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Distributional maps from various sources |
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| Links & Further literature
(0 papers) |
Google Web |
Google Images |
Google Scholar |
Research Gate |
Wikipedia |
JSTOR |
GBIF |
Med Checklist |
Cat. of Life |
EoL |
IPNI |
World Flora Online |
Plants of the World Online |
Vienna Virt. Herb. |
RBGE Herbarium |
KEW Herbarium |
MNHN |
Garden Database |
IUCN |
TROPICOS |
Kindly Email if there are papers and publications about local
studies or information about this species to be included in the list above.
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Sales and Donations
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Sales of seeds of wild plant from Malta: Seeds of selected wild plant species may be available for academic studies, research purposes, or personal use. Please note that not all species can be supplied or exported. Availability is subject to seasonal seed production, stock levels, and applicable regulations, including Maltese legislation and CITES requirements where relevant. Protected and endemic species cannot be sold (at least without the relevant environmental permits).
How it works: First, submit a quotation request by completing the Online Quotation Form (link provided on the right side of this table). Once your request has been reviewed, you will receive confirmation regarding seed availability, export eligibility (where applicable), pricing, and any transport charges. Payments are accepted by Revolut, bank transfer (IBAN), or PayPal only; credit and debit card payments are not accepted.
Please note that local orders are currently not being accepted. Seek Maltese nurseries and NGOs for local orders.
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Online Quotation (Seeds)
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Buy Images: Purchase photographs from this extensive online collection of Maltese flora by Stephen Mifsud. Images are available at reasonable prices, with rates varying according to image size and resolution. Your purchase helps support the maintenance and development of this website. When placing an order, please note the image code displayed beneath each photograph on the corresponding species page, as this is required when completing the online order form. Images are normally supplied under a license agreement, with copyright retained by the author; however, the sale of copyright for exceptional images may be considered on request.
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Online Purchase (Images)
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| Contribute Information or Report Errors |
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GBIF Distribution Map
WFO Distribution map
