Family: Iridaceae
Iris unguicularis
Citation:
L stylosa Desf., Fl. Atlant. 1:40 (1798).
Synonymy: Iris stylosa Common name: Winter flowering iris, Algerian iris.
Description:
Perennial to 45 cm high, with short rhizomes, forming dense clumps; leaves linear, acute, arching, grass-like, 45-60 cm long, 9-15 mm wide, dark-green.
Stem absent or a scape to 8 cm long; flower solitary, subsessile, lavender-violet, often with darker veins, scentless; spathe bracts 2, unequal, linear, keeled, acute, closely sheathing, 8-14 cm long; perianth tube filiform, 10-20 cm long; lobes all with long claws expanded into obovate laminae, the outer ones decurved, 6-7 cm long, 2.5-3 cm wide, the inner ones erect, 7-8 cm long, c. 2 cm wide; style branches spathulate, c. 3 cm long, with lacerate crests.
Capsule obovoid, c. 4 cm long, beakless; seeds globose, c. 5 mm diam., rugose, brown.
Published illustration:
Grey-Wilson & Mathew (1981) Bulbs, pl. 28.
Distribution:
|
S.Aust.: YP, SL. Native to the Mediterranean region.
|
Conservation status:
naturalised
Flowering time: July, Aug.
|
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
|