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pale yellow iris

bearded iris, German iris

Habit Herbaceous perennial from short, thick rhizomes, forming dense clumps, the simple flowering stem up to 1 m. tall, leafy.
Leaves

Basal leaves stiff, narrowly linear, 5-9 dm. long and 10-15 mm. broad;

cauline leaves reduced upward.

Flowers

Inflorescence branched, few to several flowered, 1.5-5 dm. long;

flowers pale to deep yellow, purple-lined; pedicles up to 5 cm. long;

perianth parts fused in a tube at the base, the tube about about 12 mm. long;

sepals 3, obovate, spreading, about 5 cm. long;

petals 3, much shorter and narrower than the sepals, upright;

stamens 3, opposite the sepals;

style branches 3, about 22 mm. long, with 2 terminal lobes less than as long;

stigma triangular;

ovary inferior.

Fruits

Capsule 3-celled, leathery, 5-8 cm. long.

Iris pseudacorus

Iris germanica

Flowering time May-July April-May
Habitat Wetlands, lake and pond margins, irrigation ditches, backwaters, and other wet places where often disturbed; invasive. Fields, ditches, forest edge, and other disturbed areas where escaping from cultivation at low elevation.
Distribution
Occurring on both sides of the Cascades crest in Washington, but more common west of the crest; British Columbia to California, east to Idaho and Montana; also in eastern North America.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Occurring west of the Cascades crest in lowland western Washington; southwestern British Columbia to California, scattered eastward to eastern North America where widely distributed.
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Origin Introduced from Eurasia Introduced from southern Europe
Conservation status Not of concern Not of concern
Sibling taxa
I. foetidissima, I. germanica, I. missouriensis, I. tenax
I. foetidissima, I. missouriensis, I. pseudacorus, I. tenax
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