Plant: herbs, perennial; can be shrub-like elsewhere Stem: Root: growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms Leaves: simple, alternate or mostly basal (sheaths open or closed), most grass or sword-like with parallel veins Flowers: perfect, regular (actinomorphic) or irregular (zygomorphic); flowers showy, often solitary; flowers in 3’s (petals, sepals, and stamens), both sepals and petals often colored; regular as in Blue-Eyed grasses (looks like 6-plan), or irregular as in true Irises; flower subtended by 2 bracts; ovary mostly inferior, 3 carpels, 1 style Fruit: capsule with seed Other: Monocotyledons Group Genera: 65+ genera; locally Belamcanda (blackberry-lily), Iris (iris), Sisyrinchium (blue-eyed grass)
WARNING – family descriptions are only a layman’s guide and should not be used as definitive Flower Morphology in the Iridaceae (Iris Family) Examples of some common genera
German Iris [Blue Flag] Iris germanica L. (Introduced
Blackberry Lily Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. (Introduced)
Dwarf Crested Iris Stout Blue-Eyed Grass Iris cristata Aiton Sisyrinchium angustifolium Mill.
Copper [Red] Iris Iris fulva Ker Gawl. Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass Sisyrinchium campestre E.P. Bicknell IRIDACEAE – IRIS FAMILY
Blackberry Lily; Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. (Introduced) Dwarf Crested Iris; Iris cristata Aiton Copper [Red] Iris; Iris fulva Ker Gawl. German Iris [Blue Flag]; Iris germanica L. (Introduced) Yellow Iris [Flag]; Iris pseudacorus L. (Introduced) Southern Blue Flag [Shreve's Iris]; Iris virginica L. var. shrevei (Small) E.S. Anderson Common Blue-Eyed Grass; Sisyrinchium albidum Raf. Stout Blue-Eyed Grass; Sisyrinchium angustifolium Mill. Eastern Blue-Eyed Grass; Sisyrinchium atlanticum E.P. Bicknell Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass; Sisyrinchium campestre E.P. Bicknell Blackberry Lily USDA Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. (Introduced) Iridaceae (Iris Family) Ash Flat area, Sharp County, Arkansas Notes: 6 tepals (both petals and sepals showy), orange with purple to red to brown spots; leaves linear, flat, parallel veined, basal and from stem; orange to yellow rhizomes; masses of black seeds from dried capsule resembles a blackberry-like fruit; summer [V Max Brown, 2007] Dwarf Crested Iris USDA Iris cristata Aiton Iridaceae (Iris Family) Shawnee State Forest, Scioto County, Ohio Notes: flower of 3 erect petals (light blue to purple) and 3 spreading sepals (light blue to purple) with a yellow ridge bordered by white, both petals and sepals united below into a tube; leaves both on stem and basal, larger leaves mostly basal, parallel veined; fruit a capsule; woods; spring [V Max Brown, 2009] Copper [Red] Iris USDA Iris fulva Ker Gawl. Iridaceae (Iris Family) Big Cane Conservation Area, Butler County, Missouri Notes: 3 sepals present (copper-orange-red-brown) that are spreading or somewhat arching, petals narrower and colored similarly to sepals, flowers present both axial and terminal (1-4 flowers at each site); leaves linear, flat, parallel veined, basal and from stem; rhizomes present; fruit an oblong capsule with 6 ribs; lowland swamps, ditches, etc.; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2012] German Iris [Blue Flag] USDA Iris germanica L. (Introduced) Iridaceae (Iris Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: flower of 3 erect petals (incurved) and 3 spreading sepals (colors vary) with line of hairs (beard); leaves mostly basal, linear, parallel veined; fruit a capsule; homestead areas, roadsides, and often planted as an ornamental; late spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Yellow Iris [Flag] USDA Iris pseudacorus L. (Introduced) Iridaceae (Iris Family) Lake Springfield, Greene County, Missouri Notes: flowers both terminal and axillary with 2-3 flower clusters; each flower of 3 smaller erect petals and 3 larger spreading sepals (yellow with brown to purple markings), bracts are unequal and spathe-like; leaves mostly basal (some on stems), linear, parallel veined; fruit a capsule; homestead areas, roadsides, and escaped from cultivation; likes wet muddy areas along streams, lakes and ponds; late spring to early summer [V Max Brown, 2016] Southern Blue Flag [Shreve's Iris] USDA Iris virginica L. var. shrevei (Small) E.S. Anderson Iridaceae (Iris Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 3 upright petals (blue) and 3 spreading blue sepals with yellow bases; leaf large, mostly basal or near base, width up to 3+ cm; fruit capsule about 2x longer than wide; ditches, mashes and wet areas; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2004] Common [White] Blue-Eyed Grass USDA Sisyrinchium albidum Raf. Iridaceae (Iris Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 3 petals and 3 sepals (tepals), blue (or rarely white), 2 spathes beneath flower open to base, a third leaf-like bract rises above flowers (it is distinct to base); upper stem winged to ~ 4mm, stem unbranched; basal leaves somewhat larger; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2007] Eastern Blue-Eyed Grass USDA Sisyrinchium atlanticum E.P. Bicknell Iridaceae (Iris Family) Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 3 similar sepals and petals (tepals); flower blue, peduncles slender, several peduncles from axil with leafy bract; larger leaves from base, usually shorter them flowering stem; stem narrow and barely winged; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2008] Stout Blue-Eyed Grass USDA Sisyrinchium angustifolium Mill. Iridaceae (Iris Family) Oak Openings Metropark, Lucas County, Ohio Notes: 3 sepals and 3 petals (tepals) flower, blue; upper stem wide (up to 4+ mm), wide winged, looks branched, lower stem winged to 6+ mm, larger leaves from base; late spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2005] Prairie Blue-Eyed Grass USDA Sisyrinchium campestre E.P. Bicknell Iridaceae (Iris Family) Wah-Kon-Tah Prairie, St. Clair County, Missouri Notes: 3 petals and 3 sepals (tepals), light blue (to white or even yellow), 1 spathe encloses the flower with a bract that rises above flowers (it is distinct to its base); upper stem winged to ~ 4mm, stem unbranched; basal leaves somewhat larger; spring to summer [V Max Brown, 2013]