Burke: Iris missouriensis

	Iris missouriensis
	western blue flag, Rocky Mountain iris
Habit	Herbaceous perennials from thick rhizomes, the simple flowering stems 2-4 dm. tall, leafless.
Leaves	Leaves basal, linear, 2-4 dm. long and 5-12 mm broad.
Flowers	Flowers usually 2, pale to deep blue, purple-lined, subtended by a pair of involucral leaves; pedicels stout, up to 6 cm. long; perianth parts fused in a tube at the base, the tube 5-8 mm. long; sepals 3, oblanceolate, 5-6 cm. long, spreading and reflexed; petals 3, shorter and narrower than the sepals, erect; stamens 3, opposite the sepals; style branches 3, 20-25mm. long, with 2 terminal lobes about as long; stigma broad and slightly notched; ovary inferior.
Fruits	Capsule 3-celled, spindle-shaped, leathery, 3-5 cm. long.

	Iris missouriensis
Flowering time	May-July
Habitat	Common in vernally moist meadows, especially in sagebrush and Ponderosa pine forests.
Distribution	Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, but also known from the Puget Sound area; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains. [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Origin	Native
Conservation status	Not of concern
Sibling taxa	I. foetidissima, I. germanica, I. pseudacorus, I. tenax
Web links	Local floras: CA, OR, WA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos, Flora NW, PNW Herbaria, Turner Photog. WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Iris missouriensis

western blue flag, Rocky Mountain iris

Habit

Herbaceous perennials from thick rhizomes, the simple flowering stems 2-4 dm. tall, leafless.

Leaves

Leaves basal, linear, 2-4 dm. long and 5-12 mm broad.

Flowers

Flowers usually 2, pale to deep blue, purple-lined, subtended by a pair of involucral leaves;

pedicels stout, up to 6 cm. long;

perianth parts fused in a tube at the base, the tube 5-8 mm. long;

sepals 3, oblanceolate, 5-6 cm. long, spreading and reflexed;

petals 3, shorter and narrower than the sepals, erect;

stamens 3, opposite the sepals;

style branches 3, 20-25mm. long, with 2 terminal lobes about as long;

stigma broad and slightly notched;

ovary inferior.

Fruits

Capsule 3-celled, spindle-shaped, leathery, 3-5 cm. long.

Iris missouriensis

Flowering time

May-July

Habitat

Common in vernally moist meadows, especially in sagebrush and Ponderosa pine forests.

Distribution

Occurring chiefly east of the Cascades crest in Washington, but also known from the Puget Sound area; British Columbia to California, east to the Rocky Mountains.

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Origin

Native

Conservation status

Not of concern

Sibling taxa

I. foetidissima, I. germanica, I. pseudacorus, I. tenax

Web links