Alternative names: Not Applicable

Description:
Perennial herbs with rhizomes or corms; leaves parallel-veined, with open basal sheaths, all radical or some cauline and distichous, equitant and vertically flattened or channelled, terete, or variously winged in section.

Inflorescence terminal, usually scapose, either spicate with sessile long-lived flowers each solitary in a spathe of 2 short bracts (Tribe Ixieae), or cymose with spathes of 1 or 2 large outer bracts containing 1 to several usually pedicellate short-lived flowers each with a reduced inner bract; flowers bisexual, epigynous, actinomorphic to zygomorphic; perianth of 6 petaloid segments, free or united, imbricate in 2 similar or differentiated whorls; stamens 3, free or united, inserted at the base of the perianth or in the perianth tube, opposite the outer segments; anthers 2-celled, basifixed to dorsifixed, usually with slits opening outwards; style usually with 3 branches which may be further divided or petaloid, rarely unbranched with a 3-lobed terminal stigma; ovary inferior, 3-celled; ovules anatropous, few to numerous on axile placentas.

Fruit a capsule, opening loculicidally from the apex in 3 valves; seeds endospermic with a small linear embryo, hard, sometimes with an aril.

Distribution:  About 85 genera with 1,500 species, basically southern temperate and especially African in distribution with a few large genera in the northern temperate region; 5 genera native to Australia, also many naturalised garden escapes. (D. A. Cooke (1986) FI. Aust. 46:1-66.)

Biology: Stamens orientated to bring all anthers to one side of the open flower are termed unilateral; equilateral stamens are arranged symmetrically so that the anthers surround the style.

Key to Genera:

1. Flower solitary
2. Leaves flattened, at least 10 mm wide	IRIS 12.
2. Leaves filiform, subterete, 1-2 mm wide	ROMULEA 17.
1. Flowers 2 to numerous in inflorescences
3. Inflorescence cymose; each spathe with 2 to many short-lived usually pedicellate flowers
4. Style branches petaloid, each covering a stamen, with 2 erect crests exceeding the flap-shaped stigma (Iris-shaped flowers)
5. Plant evergreen, with rhizomes; stamens free	IRIS 12.
5. Plant deciduous, with corms; stamens united
6. Ovary with a sterile beak; capsules enclosed in scarious spathes	GYNANDRIRIS 8.
6. Ovary beakless; capsules exserted	MORAEA 14.
4. Style without petaloid branches or crests; stamens exposed
7. Perianth-segments very unequal, the inner 3 vestigial	PATERSONIA 16.
7. Perianth-segments equal or subequal
8. Style branches short, opposite the anthers; plant deciduous, with corms
9. Margins of perianth-segments intricately crisped and undulate	FERRARIA 5.
9. Margins of perianth-segments entire and flat	HOMERIA 10.
8. Style branches filiform, protruding between the anthers; plant evergreen, with rhizomes
10. Flowers and capsules partially enclosed by spathes, on concealed pedicels	ORTHROSANTHUS 15.
10. Flowers and capsules exserted from spathes on long capillary pedicels	SISYRINCHIUM 18.
3. Inflorescence spicate; each spathe with a solitary sessile flower lasting several days
11. Style branches deeply 2-fid; stigmas 6 or more
12. Spike horizontal, secund, with more or less erect flowers	FREESIA 6.
12. Spike vertical, distichous, with spreading flowers	WATSONIA 22.
11. Style branches entire; stigmas 3
13. Leaves hairy, plicate, abruptly narrowed into a petiole-like base	BABIANA 1.
13. Leaves glabrous, never plicate or with a petiole-like base
14. Flowers pendulous on the filiform branches of a panicle-like inflorescence	DIERAMA 4.
14. Flowers erect to patent; inflorescence unbranched or with erect branches
15. Perianth actinomorphic, with a straight tube; flowers more or less erect
16. Perianth tube narrowly cylindrical, exserted from the spathe	IXIA 13.
16. Perianth tube funnel-shaped; not or hardly exserted from the spathe
17. Spathes lacerate	SPARAXIS 19.
17. Spathes entire or emarginate
18. Stamens equilateral; corm campanulate, with a scaly tunic	HESPERANTHA 9.
18. Stamens unilateral; corm globose, with a fibrous tunic	TRITONIA 21.
15. Perianth zygomorphic, with a curved tube; flowers patent
19. Stolons present; axis of spike flexuose	CROCOSMIA 3.
19. Stolons absent; axis of spike never flexuose
20. Perianth tube abruptly dilated
21. Perianth 2-lipped, the upper lobe far exceeding the others and hooded	CHASMANTHE 2.
21. Perianth not 2-lipped, the upper lobe hardly exceeding the others	HOMOGLOSSUM 11.
20. Perianth tube evenly funnel-shaped
22. Spathes entire, acute, herbaceous	GLADIOLUS 7.
22. Spathes lacerate to emarginate, brown, scarious to membranous
23. Spathes lacerate; perianth-segments unequal, shorter than the tube	SYNNOTIA 20.
23. Spathes emarginate; perianth-segments subequal, longer than the tube	TRITONIA 21.

Author: Prepared by D. A. Cooke