Cypella is a genus of herbaceous, perennial, bulbous plants belonging to the iris family (Iridaceae), classified within the tribe Tigridieae and order Asparagales. The genus is native to South America, with species distributed from Peru and Brazil south to northern Argentina, and across Paraguay, Bolivia and Uruguay within that range.
The genus name is thought to derive from the Greek word kyphella, meaning "hollow of the ear," a reference to the cupped shape of the flowers' inner tepals — a form typical of the showy, short-lived, iris-relative blooms found throughout the genus. Molecular and morphological studies have led to the South American genera Kelissa and Onira being folded into Cypella, expanding its circumscription; GBIF's backbone currently lists 32 accepted taxa under the genus.
Species recognized in the genus include Cypella herbertii (sometimes called Herbert's goblet flower), C. armosa, C. fucata, C. exilis, C. craterantha, C. pabstiana, C. curuzupensis, and C. suffusa, among others, most named for and restricted to particular parts of the genus's Southern Cone and Andean range.
Etymology
The genus name Cypella likely derives from the Greek kyphella, meaning "hollow of the ear," referring to the shape of the inner tepals of the flower.
Distribution
Native to South America, ranging from Peru and Brazil south through Paraguay, Bolivia, and Uruguay to northern Argentina.
Taxonomy Notes
Placed in the family Iridaceae, order Asparagales, within tribe Tigridieae. Following DNA and morphological studies, the segregate genera Kelissa and Onira have been merged into Cypella.
