FREESIA, in botany, a genus of plants belonging to the Iris family (Iridaceae), and containing three species, all natives of S. Africa. The plants grow from a corm (a solid bulb, as in Gladiolus) which sends up a tuft of long narrow leaves and a slightly branched stem bearing a few leaves and loose one-sided spikes of fragrant narrowly funnel-shaped flowers. Several varie ties are known in cultivation, differing in the colour of the flower, which is white, cream or yellow. They form pretty greenhouse plants which are readily increased from seed. They are exten sively grown for the market in Guernsey, England and America. By potting successively throughout the autumn a supply of flow ers is obtained through winter and spring.