Hesperantha is a cormous genus in the Iridaceae family with 79 species. Four are found in tropical Africa, 37 in summer-rainfall southern Africa, and 42 in winter-rainfall southern Africa. Many of the former are found in the eastern southern African Drakensberg in Kwa Zulu-Natal. Most plants are short, 15 to 20 cm. tall or less. A number of them open late in the afternoon or early evening and those are often very fragrant.

Hesperantha ciliolata is a South African endemic species from the Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces. It grows to 30cm tall with three linear hollow leaves. During spring it bears musk-scented pink to violet flowers which open by mid-day.