General: Perennial herb from a thick rhizome; flowering stems usually simple, sometimes branched, 20-50 cm tall.
Leaves: Mostly basal, linear-lanceolate, 20-50 cm long, 5-10 mm wide, entire, the tips long-pointed.
Flowers: Inflorescence of 1 or 2, sometimes 3 or 4, showy flowers on stout, 4- to 6-cm long stalks; flowers light to deep blue, purple-lined, the tubes flared above, less than 6 mm long, the bracts green or reddish and not papery at flowering; petals erect, 3-6 cm long, 1.5-2 cm wide; sepals oblanceolate, 5-6 cm long, about 1 cm wide, bent back; style branches 2-2.5 cm long, the crests less than 1/2 as long; stigmas 2-lobed.
Fruits: Capsules, cylindrical, 3-5 cm long; seeds numerous.
1. Flowers yellow; plants usually more than 1 m tall.................Iris pseudacorus
1. Flowers predominantly blue, purple, or white; plants usually less than 1 m tall.
2. Principle leaves usually more than 1 cm wide; petals (standards) 0.5-2 cm long, sharp-pointed; plants occurring N of 60 degrees N, also SE AK and YK........Iris setosa
2 Principle leaves 1 cm wide, or less; petals (standards) 3-6 cm long, blunt-tipped; plants occurring in S BC
3. Blades of sepals (falls) oblanceolate; bracts green or reddish and not papery at flowering time............Iris missouriensis
3. Blades of sepals (falls) broadly rounded; bracts brown and papery at flowering time...............Iris sibirica
Source:The Illustrated Flora of British Columbia
Habitat / Range
Moist lake margins and marshy meadows in the lowland and montane zones; rare in W BC, known from scattered localities, where probably introduced; E to SE AB and S to MN, NE, NM, AZ, CA and N MX.
