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 latifolia grows on flats and mountains in mostly clay soil in Namaqualand and the western and southwestern Cape to the Karoo. It has sword-shaped broad leaves and three to seven pink to purple or mauve flowers, rarely white. The stamens are erect and the filaments well exserted. It is similar to Ixia rapunculoides and Ixia marginifolia. They make very good cut flowers.