Iris virginica |
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iris de virginie, southern blue flag, Virginia iris |
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Rhizomes | many-branched, forming dense clumps, 2–4 cm diam., usually covered with remnants of old leaves; roots fleshy. |
Stems | rather weak, often falling over after flowering, solid, usually 1-branched, 5–10 dm. |
Leaves | basal erect or often flexible, blade gray-green to bright green, buff to purplish basally, with several prominent ribs in mature leaves, linear-ensiform, 6–8 dm × 2.5–3 cm, apex acute. |
Inflorescence units | 2–3-flowered, branch units 1–2-flowered; spathes compact, often with brown striations, ridged, unequal, outer 3–8 cm, inner 8–14 cm, firm, herbaceous. |
Flowers | perianth lavender to violet, rarely white; floral tube constricted above ovary, 1–2 cm; sepals spreading and arched, pale blue to purple with darker blue or purple lines, obovate to oval, 4–8.4 × 1.6–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate, claw green in median, bordered by yellow ground with blue or purple lines, yellow extending onto base of limb as finely pubescent signal patch; petals oblong-lanceolate to oblong-spatulate, 3–7 × 1–3 cm, claw greenish yellow with blue or purplish lines, apex often emarginate; ovary trigonal, 1.3–3.8 cm; style inwardly auriculate at convergences, 3–4.5 cm, crests reflexed, 0.7–2 cm; stigmas unlobed, with prominent triangular tongues, margins entire; pedicel 2.5–8 cm. |
Capsules | ovoid, ellipsoid, or long-cylindric, trigonal or polygonal in cross section, 3–6 × 1–2 cm. |
Seeds | in 2 rows per locule, pale brown, usually D-shaped, 5–8 mm, pitted, corky. |
2n | = 70, 72. |
Iris virginica |
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Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. |
Habitat | Wetlands, margins of lakes and streams |
Distribution |
AL; AR; DC; FL; GA; IA; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MD; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NY; OH; OK; PA; SC; TN; TX; VA; WI; WV; ON; QC
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Discussion | Plants of Iris virginica from the southeastern and south-central states having stems 2–3-branched and seldom falling to the ground after flowering, and with capsules long-cylindric have been recognized as var. shrevei. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 390. |
Parent taxa | Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Laevigatae |
Sibling taxa | |
Synonyms | I. caroliniana, I. georgiana, I. shrevei, I. virginica var. shrevei |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 39. (1753) |
Web links |