Iris

Scientific name

Iris L.

Family

Iridaceae

Similar genera

Acorus, Butomus, Hymenocallis, Lachnanthes, Philydrum, Sparganium, Typha

Native distribution

northern temperate

Species cultivated

Iris ensata Thunb. (Asia) and cultivars

I. fulva Ker Gawl. and hybrids

I. laevigata Fisch. and cultivars

I. pseudacorus L.

I. versicolor L.

I. virginica L.

Adventive distribution

Numerous terrestrialterrestrial:
(adj) growing on land as opposed to living in water
species are introduced into many countries; many aquatics are established beyond botanical gardens, etc.

Iris ensata Thunb. and I. pseudacorus L. are introduced into the United States.

I. laevigata Fisch. is introduced into Australia.

I. versicolor L. is introduced into parts of Europe and Asia.

Weed status

Iris douglasiana Herbert, I. missouriensis Nutt., and I. pseudacorus are considered noxious weeds by some.

Habit

emergent, riparianriparian:
(adj) growing by rivers or streams; of, adjacent to, or living on, the banks of a river, lake, pond, etc.
rhizomatousrhizomatous:
(adj) possessing rhizomes
rosette plant

Brief description

Perennial. Creeping rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
. Leaves rigid, flat, smooth and elongate-linear, distichousdistichous:
(adj) (of leaves or flowers) distinctly arranged in two ranks along an axis; leaves may be opposite or alternate
, equitantequitant:
(adj) (of leaves) in two rows or ranks, overlapping and folded lengthwise, the whole effect fan-like as in the Iridaceae
, overlapping each other but appearing to be in a rosetterosette:
(n) a radiating cluster of leaves, usually close to the ground at the base of a plant
. Inflorescenceinflorescence:
(n) the arrangement of flowers on the floral axis
a solitary flower or paniclepanicle:
(n) an indeterminate, branched (often much-branched) inflorescence; the ultimate units may be of a different inflorescence type
. Flowers large, showy, subtended by a spathe-like bractbract:
(n) a modified leaf near a flower or inflorescence, often reduced, sometimes large and/or petaloid; also glumes, lemmas, and paleae of grass spikelets
; perianthperianth:
(n) collective term for the calyx and corolla of a flower; also used for floral whorl(s) in which the calyx and corolla cannot be resolved; any of the leaves or bracts surrounding the sex organs of bryophytes
of 6 tepals in 2 similar series; outer series deflexeddeflexed:
(adj) bent abruptly downward
, inner series erect. Dispersal by rhizomerhizome:
(n) an underground stem, usually growing horizontally, from which both roots and shoots emerge directly; the thick, above-ground stem of ferns
division and seeds.

Natural habitat

wet ground and littorallittoral:
(adj) of or along the shore
region of lakes, swamps, and rivers

Additional comments

A genus containing over 300 species and many cultivated varieties. Most aquatic species belong to the section Apogon.