Iridaceae 

Taxonomy

Family name: Iridaceae A.L. Jussieu

Synonym(s): Geosiridaceae Jonker, nom. cons.; Gladiolaceae Raf.; Hewardiaceae Nakai, nom. illeg.; Isophysidaceae F. A. Barkley; Ixiaceae Horan.

Common name(s): iris family

*Number of genera/species: 66/2400

List of genera records in GRIN-Global

Disseminule

seed

Description

Fruit dehiscentdehiscent:
(v. dehisce) splitting open at maturity to release contents (of a fruit)
, loculicidalloculicidal:
type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal)
capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
, rarely pyxidium capsulecapsule:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
(Geosiris) or indehiscentindehiscent:
not opening on its own, as in a fruit
(some species of Dietes and Libertia), 2–100 mm long, globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
to triangulartriangular:
2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped
, tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
or angledangled:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, sometimes beakedbeaked:
a usually firm, terminal appendage, sometimes tapered
(some species of Iris, Dietes, Ferraria, Hermodactylis, some species of Moraea), few to many seeded, sometimes with persistent spathe tube or perianthperianth:
collective term for calyx and corolla of a flower
. Pericarppericarp:
fruit wall or fruit coat
black, brown, green, or white, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
, membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
to woodywoody:
consisting mainly of indurate lignified tissues, characteristic of or resembling wood
, sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth, wrinkledwrinkled:
surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out
, papillatepapillate:
surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex
, groovedgrooved:
surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface
or ribbedribbed:
surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface
. CapsulesCapsules:
a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels
radially winged in Aristea section Racemosae.

Seed usually angularangular:
2D shape—having sides that meet at acute or obtuse angles  
, sometimes globoseglobose:
3D shape—more or less spherical
, discoiddiscoid:
3D shape—resembling a disc
(Diplarrhena, some species of Moraea), compressedcompressed:
flattened; in grasses, used to denote compression (not necessarily flattened) either laterally or dorsiventrally
(to flattened), tereteterete:
approximately circular in cross section; width and thickness approximately equal
, or triangulartriangular:
2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped
in transectiontransection:
a cross section; representing a plane made by cutting across an organ at a right angle to its length
, minute in Geosiris, 1–18 mm long in the other genera. Hilumhilum:
on seeds, the scar indicating where the funiculus was attached; on grass caryopses, the scar visible on the outer caryopsis surface revealing where the seed is attached on the inner fruit wall surface; or in Asteraceae cypselae, the scar visible on the pericarp revealing where the fruit was attached to the receptacle
punctate or if larger, circularcircular:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an "O" shape
. Seeds winged at both ends in Pardanthopsis, one or two winged in Watsonia, and two winged in Tritoniopsis. Rapheraphe:
a ridge or seam on the seed coat, formed by the portion of the funiculus united to the ovule wall in longitudinally curved ovules
inflated in Freesia. Elaisomes present in Patersonia and some species of Iris (formally placed in Hermodactylus); arilsarils:
(broad sense) appendicular structure that wholly or partly envelops a seed and is produced from or a modification of the funicle, raphe, or outer integument; usually fleshy or pulpy, sometimes spongy or tufted-capillate, often brightly colored
present in some species of Iris. Seed coat brown or black, dulldull:
reflecting only a low proportion of incident light, with no apparent sheen
or shinyshiny:
uniformly reflecting a high proportion of incident light at all angles
, leatheryleathery:
texture—moderately thick, tough, and very pliable
, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
(rarely), membranousmembranous:
texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough
, or corkycorky:
firm, relatively light, discontinuous but strongly cohesive, and resilient
, sometimes pubescentpubescent:
surface relief—bearing hairs
, smooth or variously sculptured.

Embryo well developed, linearlinear:
(shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide
, curvedcurved:
(of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart
or straight, partially filling seed coat, sometimes chlorophyllous. Endospermendosperm:
nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds
copious hard, fleshyfleshy:
texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut
or cartilaginouscartilaginous:
texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage
.

Identification features

Fruit
Type	loculicidal loculicidal: type of capsular dehiscence, opening longitudinally through the locules (compare septicidal) capsulecapsule: a dry, dehiscent fruit formed by two or more carpels (sometimes indehiscentindehiscent: not opening on its own, as in a fruit ), rarely pyxidium capsule
Size range	2–100 mm long
Shape(s)	triangular, conicalconical: 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end , oblongoblong: 2D shape—much longer than broad with nearly parallel sides, corners are rounded , globoseglobose: 3D shape—more or less spherical , ovoidovoid: 3D shape—ovate , fusiformfusiform: spindle-shaped; broadest at the middle and tapering at both ends , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , cylindrical
Texture	leathery, membranousmembranous: texture—extremely thin, pliable, and fairly tough , firmfirm: texture—yielding under only moderately strong pressure; only slightly deformable without internal structural disruption , cartilaginouscartilaginous: texture—firm, dense, tough, somewhat pliable, and resilient, like cartilage , woody
Surface relief	smooth or roughenedroughened: texture—having a small, stout, stiff, more or less acute protrusions , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , papillatepapillate: surface relief—bearing minute, distinct, broad-based projections, tapering to a rounded apex , groovedgrooved: surface relief—linear depressions that may be single or form a series of grooves over the surface , ribbedribbed: surface relief—wide, prominent, linear ridges that are generally rounded and longitudinally situated on the surface , sometimes pubescent
Color(s)	brown, black, white, green
Seed
Size range	0.8–18 mm long
Shape(s)	globose, triangulartriangular: 2D shape—three relatively straight sides with distinct corners; more angular than teardrop-shaped , irregular, polygonalpolygonal: =angular , ellipsoidellipsoid: 3D shape—elliptic , lens-shapedlens-shaped: 2D shape—round and flattened with two curved (convex) surfaces , conicalconical: 3D shape—cone-shaped, with the point of attachment at the broad end , teardrop-shapedteardrop-shaped: 2D shape—widest point is toward one end of the fruit, the other end tapers sharply to a pointed end , D-shaped
Surface relief	smooth, colliculatecolliculate: surface relief—covered with small, round projections, similar to blistered , reticulatereticulate: surface relief—netted, raised walls or concave grooves forming a net-like surface pattern with flat, concave, or convex interspaces , ridgedridged: surface relief—raised, thick ridges, sharp edged or rounded, usually in a series that may cover the entire surface , roughenedroughened: texture—having a small, stout, stiff, more or less acute protrusions , wrinkledwrinkled: surface relief—shallow, irregular folds and furrows covering the surface; appearing overall though crumpled and then spread out , striatestriate: surface relief—having fine, parallel lines, grooves or ridges , granular
Color(s)	black, brown, red
Other
Embryo	well developed, linearlinear: (shape) long, narrow, and uniform in width; (of embryo) embryo is straight and much longer than wide , curvedcurved: (of embryo) linear embryo is curved into an arch or horseshoe with the ends far apart or straight, partially filling seed coat
Nutritive tissuenutritive tissue: tissue within the seeds that nourishes the developing embryo; such as endosperm, perisperm, or chalazosperm in angiosperms; megagametophyte in gymnosperms	endosperm endosperm: nutritive starch- and oil-containing tissue present in many seeds copious hard, fleshyfleshy: texture—fairly firm and dense, juicy or at least moist, and easily cut or cartilaginous

Distribution

Worldwide.

Distribution map courtesy of Angiosperm Phylogeny Website.

References

Baskin and Baskin 2021Baskin and Baskin 2021:
Baskin C and Baskin J. 2021. Relationship of the lateral embryo (in grasses) to other monocot embryos: A status up-grade. Seed Science Research 31 (3): 199-210. doi:10.1017/S0960258521000209; Dahlgren et al. 1985Dahlgren et al. 1985:
Dahlgren RMT, Clifford HT, and Yeo PF. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons: structure, evolution, and taxonomy. Springer-Verlag, Berlin. 520 pp.; Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+Flora of North America Editorial Committee 1993+:
Flora of North America Editorial Committee, eds. 1993+. Flora of North America North of Mexico [Online]. 22+ vols. Flora of North America Association, New York and Oxford. Accessed January-December 2021. URL: http://beta.floranorthamerica.org.; Kirkbride et al. 2006Kirkbride et al. 2006:
Kirkbride JH, Jr, Gunn CR, and Dallwitz MJ. 2006. Family guide for fruits and seeds, vers. 1.0. Accessed September 2020ndash;January 2022. URL: https://nt.ars-grin.gov/seedsfruits/keys/frsdfam/index.cfm .; Kubitzki et al. 1990+Kubitzki et al. 1990+:
Kubitzki K et al., eds. 1990+. The families and genera of vascular plants. 7+ vols. Berlin etc.; Stevenson and Loconte 1995Stevenson and Loconte 1995:
Stevenson DW and Loconte H. 1995. A cladistic analysis of monocot families. In: Rudall PJ, Cribb PJ, Cutler DF, and Humphries CJ, eds. Monocotyledons: Systematics and Evolution. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.; Watson and Dallwitz 1992+Watson and Dallwitz 1992+:
Watson L and Dallwitz MJ. 1992+. The families of flowering plants: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 6th Accessed September 2020-September 2022. URL: delta-intkey.com; Zhengyi et al. 2004+Zhengyi et al. 2004+:
Zhengyi W, Raven PH, and Deyuan H. 2004+. Flora of China [online]. 25 vols. Science Press, Beijing China amp; Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis USA. Accessed January-December 2021. http://flora.huh.harvard.edu/china/

*The number of genera and species is based on Christenhusz and Byng 2016Christenhusz and Byng 2016:
Christenhusz MJM and Byng JW. 2016. The number of known plant species in the world and its annual increase. Phytotaxa 261 (3): 201ndash;217. https://doi.org/10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1, which may differ from the number of genera in GRIN-Global.