The botanical name of corn lily is ‘Ixia hybrid’ and it is also known by the name of corn flower. This name is due to the plant’s appearance which resembles a corn. It is sometimes called ‘skunk cabbage’ because of the strong odour which it emits when it loses its freshness and turns black or yellow when struck by natural calamities like drought, frost or at the terminal part of its growing season. The plant is also known as ‘false hellebore’ because of its similarity with the hellebores of Europe.

A particular species of this plant is called ‘veratrum californicum’ and this semi-hardy plant grows to a height of 12-18 inches. It bears leaves shaped like swords and the flowers are shaped as stars with a long slender stem. The flowers appear in spring in the south and in summer in the north. The flowers are mostly pink, red, purple, white or yellow in colour. They grow in soils that are well drained and require bright sunlight.

The attractive flowers are noted for their visual appeal and are used for decorative purposes and are used in gardens as flower beds, to provide borders and preserved as fresh cut flowers.