FNA: Iris hexagona vs. Iris purdyi

	Iris hexagona	Iris purdyi
	Carolina iris, Dixie iris	Purdy's iris, redwood iris
Rhizomes	greenish with brown leaf scars, branching from older buds quite some distance proximal to apex, forming widely scattered colonies, 2–2.5 cm diam.	much branched, forming dense clumps, dark red-brown, very slender, 0.3–0.6 cm diam., covered with remains of old leaves; roots fibrous.
Stems	1–2-branched, solid, 3–9 dm.	simple, solid, 1.5–2.5 dm.
Leaves	basal stiffly erect, blade yellow-green, lightly ribbed, 8–9 dm × 2–3 cm; cauline 1–2, foliaceous, blade 1.2–2 dm, exceeding subtended flower.	basal few, laxly spreading, longer than stem, blade bright dark green adaxially, flushed pink basally, veins subprominent, linear, 2.8–4.8 dm × 0.5–0.8 cm, rather glaucous abaxially, margins thickened, apex acute; cauline imbricated, sheathing, free only at tips, bracteiform, blade green edged with pink, strongly striate, inflated, apex acuminate.
Inflorescence units	1–2-flowered, branch units 1-flowered; spathes lanceolate, subequal or unequal, apex acute; outer foliaceous, 15–20 cm, usually exceeding flower; inner 8–10 cm, herbaceous, with scarious margins.	1–2-flowered; spathes green with prominent red margins, inflated, broadly lanceolate-ovate, 5.6–7 cm × 8–13 mm, unequal, outer shorter than inner, herbaceous, apex acuminate.
Flowers	perianth blue to violet, rarely white; floral tube funnelform, grooved in line with grooves of ovary, 2–3 cm; sepals spreading horizontally, obovate to oval, 8–8.5 × 4 cm, claw greenish with prominent yellow midrib which is pubescent on each side at base, apex rounded; petals erect or spreading-erect, oblanceolate to spatulate, 7–9 × 2 cm, claw veined with green; ovary roundly triangular in cross section, with wide grooves at angles and concave sides, 2–3 cm; style convex laterally from central reddish ridge, 3.5–5 cm, narrower than claw of sepals, crests erect, overlapping, semiovate to triangular, 1–5 cm, margins coarsely toothed; stigmas 2-lobed, lobes triangular or rounded-deltoid, margins entire; pedicel 2.5–3.5 cm.	perianth pale creamy yellow flushed with pale lavender, with conspicuous brownish purple lines; floral tube linear, 3–5 cm, somewhat dilated apically; sepals widely spreading, veined and dotted with deeper purple on claw and limb, oblanceolate, 5.5–8.4 × 1.6–2.7 cm; petals spreading, lanceolate, 5–7 × 1–2 cm, margins sinuate; ovary trigonal in cross section with groove along each angle, narrow, 1–1.5 cm; style 2–3 cm, crests narrowly semiovate or nearly linear, laciniate, 1–2 cm; stigmas rounded-truncate to 2-lobed, never triangular, margins minutely denticulate; pedicel 1–2 cm.
Capsules	hexagonal in cross section, with 3 alternate sides plane, others with 2 rounded ridges with shallow groove between them, 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 cm.	oblong-ovoid, trigonal, somewhat beaked, 2–3 cm.
Seeds	in 2 rows per locule, light brown, D-shaped or irregularly rounded, 4–6 mm, corky.	light brown, D-shaped, oblong-ovoid, thick, finely wrinkled.
2n	= 44.	= 40.

	Iris hexagona	Iris purdyi
Phenology	Flowering Apr–May.	Flowering Apr–Jul.
Habitat	Margins of wetlands, low roadsides	Open woods of redwood region
Distribution	FL; SC [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]	CA [WildflowerSearch map] [BONAP county map]
Discussion	Iris hexagona is one of the rarest of all our native irises. We had seen herbarium specimens from seven localities in five counties of South Carolina. In searching for living plants at each of these sites we found that six of the seven are now under the water of Lake Moultrie. After extensive searching, one small population has been located at the other site, in a state park at Charleston, which is being watched carefully by the rangers of the park. A good-sized population has since been found in Dixie County, Florida, north of the small town of Shamrock, and another in neighboring Taylor County. These two populations are in the drainage system of Georgia, which in turn is fed by some of the streams from South Carolina. So far, though, I. hexagona has not been found in Georgia. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)	Iris purdyi hybridizes with I. bracteata, I. chrysophylla, I. douglasiana, I. innominata, I. macrosiphon, I. tenax, and I. tenuissima. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Source	FNA vol. 26, p. 392.	FNA vol. 26, p. 385.
Parent taxa	Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Hexagonae	Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae
Sibling taxa	I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica	I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica
Synonyms		I. lansdaleana, I. macrosiphon var. purdyi
Name authority	Walter: Fl. Carol., 66. (1788)	Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 1: 78, plate 7, fig. 2. (1897)
Web links	WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search	Local floras: CA Local Web sites: CalFlora, CalPhotos WildflowerSearch iNaturalist (observations) USDA Plants Database LBJ Wildflower Center SEINet Plants of the World Online Encyclopedia of Life Wikipedia Google Image Search

Iris purdyi

Carolina iris, Dixie iris

Purdy's iris, redwood iris

Rhizomes

greenish with brown leaf scars, branching from older buds quite some distance proximal to apex, forming widely scattered colonies, 2–2.5 cm diam.

much branched, forming dense clumps, dark red-brown, very slender, 0.3–0.6 cm diam., covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

Stems

1–2-branched, solid, 3–9 dm.

simple, solid, 1.5–2.5 dm.

Leaves

basal stiffly erect, blade yellow-green, lightly ribbed, 8–9 dm × 2–3 cm;

cauline 1–2, foliaceous, blade 1.2–2 dm, exceeding subtended flower.

basal few, laxly spreading, longer than stem, blade bright dark green adaxially, flushed pink basally, veins subprominent, linear, 2.8–4.8 dm × 0.5–0.8 cm, rather glaucous abaxially, margins thickened, apex acute;

cauline imbricated, sheathing, free only at tips, bracteiform, blade green edged with pink, strongly striate, inflated, apex acuminate.

Inflorescence units

1–2-flowered, branch units 1-flowered;

spathes lanceolate, subequal or unequal, apex acute;

outer foliaceous, 15–20 cm, usually exceeding flower;

inner 8–10 cm, herbaceous, with scarious margins.

1–2-flowered;

spathes green with prominent red margins, inflated, broadly lanceolate-ovate, 5.6–7 cm × 8–13 mm, unequal, outer shorter than inner, herbaceous, apex acuminate.

Flowers

perianth blue to violet, rarely white;

floral tube funnelform, grooved in line with grooves of ovary, 2–3 cm;

sepals spreading horizontally, obovate to oval, 8–8.5 × 4 cm, claw greenish with prominent yellow midrib which is pubescent on each side at base, apex rounded;

petals erect or spreading-erect, oblanceolate to spatulate, 7–9 × 2 cm, claw veined with green;

ovary roundly triangular in cross section, with wide grooves at angles and concave sides, 2–3 cm;

style convex laterally from central reddish ridge, 3.5–5 cm, narrower than claw of sepals, crests erect, overlapping, semiovate to triangular, 1–5 cm, margins coarsely toothed;

stigmas 2-lobed, lobes triangular or rounded-deltoid, margins entire;

pedicel 2.5–3.5 cm.

perianth pale creamy yellow flushed with pale lavender, with conspicuous brownish purple lines;

floral tube linear, 3–5 cm, somewhat dilated apically;

sepals widely spreading, veined and dotted with deeper purple on claw and limb, oblanceolate, 5.5–8.4 × 1.6–2.7 cm;

petals spreading, lanceolate, 5–7 × 1–2 cm, margins sinuate;

ovary trigonal in cross section with groove along each angle, narrow, 1–1.5 cm;

style 2–3 cm, crests narrowly semiovate or nearly linear, laciniate, 1–2 cm;

stigmas rounded-truncate to 2-lobed, never triangular, margins minutely denticulate;

pedicel 1–2 cm.

Capsules

hexagonal in cross section, with 3 alternate sides plane, others with 2 rounded ridges with shallow groove between them, 2.5–3.5 × 2–2.5 cm.

oblong-ovoid, trigonal, somewhat beaked, 2–3 cm.

Seeds

in 2 rows per locule, light brown, D-shaped or irregularly rounded, 4–6 mm, corky.

light brown, D-shaped, oblong-ovoid, thick, finely wrinkled.

= 44.

= 40.

Iris hexagona

Iris purdyi

Phenology

Flowering Apr–May.

Flowering Apr–Jul.

Habitat

Margins of wetlands, low roadsides

Open woods of redwood region

Distribution

FL; SC

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

[WildflowerSearch map]

[BONAP county map]

Discussion

Iris hexagona is one of the rarest of all our native irises. We had seen herbarium specimens from seven localities in five counties of South Carolina. In searching for living plants at each of these sites we found that six of the seven are now under the water of Lake Moultrie. After extensive searching, one small population has been located at the other site, in a state park at Charleston, which is being watched carefully by the rangers of the park. A good-sized population has since been found in Dixie County, Florida, north of the small town of Shamrock, and another in neighboring Taylor County. These two populations are in the drainage system of Georgia, which in turn is fed by some of the streams from South Carolina. So far, though, I. hexagona has not been found in Georgia.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Iris purdyi hybridizes with I. bracteata, I. chrysophylla, I. douglasiana, I. innominata, I. macrosiphon, I. tenax, and I. tenuissima.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source

FNA vol. 26, p. 392.

FNA vol. 26, p. 385.

Parent taxa

Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Hexagonae

Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae

Sibling taxa

I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica

I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica

Synonyms

I. lansdaleana, I. macrosiphon var. purdyi

Name authority

Walter: Fl. Carol., 66. (1788)

Eastwood: Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., ser. 3, 1: 78, plate 7, fig. 2. (1897)

Web links

Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).

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Iris hexagona

Iris purdyi

Iris hexagona

Iris purdyi