A member of the Iridaceae family, the plant (also known as the Blue Tulp) ... is a monocotyledon. The blue tulp grows profusely in rainy parts of the Union, for example along much of the Cape coastal belt as far east as Grahamstown, in both the Karroos, and in parts of the Transvaal. It is a perennial plant but only appears above the ground once a year for about two months. This is at the start of the rainy season and in Grahamstown the plant appears in April and May, after which it disappears again. Chapter 1, p.1.