The genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained soil. They have a specific but not very intense fragrance of vegetables. That is why it is often visited by many insects such as bees.

Ixia abbreviata, synonymously known as Ixia lutea and Ixia conferta var. ochroleuca, is a South African endemic species found in the Western Cape Province in Citrusdal and Piketberg to Malmesbury, Paarl and Tulbagh. Growing from 15-35 cm, it has sword-shaped leaves that are often twisted distally and crowded white to pale yellow or red-purple flowers with dark centers. Bracts are usually rust-brown in the upper half.