This is the first complete taxonomic treatment for lridaceae in southern Africa (including Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa and Eswatini) since the publication of J.G. Baker’s account in Flora Capensis (1896). It treats a total of 1210 species in 36 genera. Each species is fully described with complete nomenclature, geographic range and a distribution map. Genera are illustrated with line drawings, and nearly half of the species are illustrated with colour photographs.