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 pauciflora has unscented pinkish-purple flowers. Sometimes, though not common, they may even be yellow. The flowers open in the afternoon and closes in the evening. Hesperantha pauciflora is naturally found growing in sandy soil in the Northwest Cape. It blooms from late winter to spring and is pollinated by bees, short probscid flies, and beetles.