Citation: L., Sp. Pl. 38 (1753).

Synonymy: Not Applicable

Common name: Flag iris, tall bearded iris, German iris.

Description:
Perennial to 120 cm high, with thick fleshy rhizomes at the soil surface; leaves sword-shaped, erect, acute, 30-50 cm long, 2.5-4 cm wide, glaucous, distichous in fan-shaped clusters; stem erect, with 1 or 2 lateral branches subtended by short leaves.

Cymes 2-5-flowered; spathe bracts ovate, 3-5 cm long, herbaceous with scarious apices; flowers shortly pedicellate, usually white, less often blue, yellow, violet or multicoloured, spicy-scented; perianth tube funnel-shaped, c. 2 cm long; outer lobes obovate, emarginate, 6-7 cm long, decurved, with a beard of yellow hairs along the mid-vein for half their length; inner lobes obovate, 6-7 cm long, erect-incurved, glabrous; style branches broadly spathulate, with acute crests 3-6 mm long.

Capsule obovoid, 4-5 cm long, beakless, pale-brown; seeds globose-angular, c. 5 mm diam., wrinkled, redbrown.

Published illustration: Healy & Edgar (1980) Flora of New Zealand 3:127.

Distribution:  S.Aust.: NL, YP, SL, KI, SE.   W.Aust.; N.S.W.; Vic.   A garden plant cultivated in Europe since classical times, and probably derived by hybridisation of species from the eastern Mediterranean region. Conservation status: naturalised Flowering time: Sept., Oct.

SA Distribution Map based on current data relating to specimens held in the State Herbarium of South Australia

Biology: No text

Author: Not yet available