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 saundersiana is a rare South African endemic species found in the Western Cape’s Swartruggens and Hex River mountains, growing at high altitude on rocky fynbos. During spring it bears eye-catching white flowers, often flushed with purple, with green centers.