Iris virginica |
Iris prismatica |
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iris de virginie, southern blue flag, Virginia iris |
slender blue iris |
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Rhizomes | many-branched, forming dense clumps, 2–4 cm diam., usually covered with remnants of old leaves; roots fleshy. |
superficial or only slightly buried in peaty soil, cordlike portions usually 1-branched, 40 cm × 2–5 mm, bearing scalelike leaves at nodes; nodal roots absent. |
Stems | rather weak, often falling over after flowering, solid, usually 1-branched, 5–10 dm. |
simple or 1–2-branched, 3–8 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. |
basal with blade slightly ribbed, 3–6 dm × 0.2–0.5 cm; cauline 1–4, erect. |
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. |
1–3-flowered, branch units 1–2-flowered; spathes pale brown, narrowly lanceolate, 2–4 cm, scarious or partially membranaceous. |
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. |
perianth pale blue or blue-violet; floral tube 0.2–0.3 cm; sepals pale violet, veined deep violet basally, ovate, 4–5 × 1.3–2 cm, base abruptly attenuate; petals lavender, oblanceolate, 3.5–4.5 × 0.7–1.5 cm; ovary trigonal, sharply angled; style arched, narrow, 2–3 cm, crests divergent, quadrate, 0.5–0.7 cm, margins serrate; stigmas sharply triangular; pedicel somewhat flattened, 3–7 cm, exserted from spathe. |
Capsules | ovoid, ellipsoid, or long-cylindric, trigonal or polygonal in cross section, 3–6 × 1–2 cm. |
sharply 3-angled, almost winged, 3–4 × 1.2–1.4 cm, concave faces 6–14 mm wide. |
Seeds | in 2 rows per locule, pale brown, usually D-shaped, 5–8 mm, pitted, corky. |
in 1 row per locule, buff to dark brown, pyriform, with convex sides, 3–4 mm, smooth. |
2n | = 70, 72. |
= 42. |
Iris virginica |
Iris prismatica |
|
Phenology | Flowering May–Jun. | Flowering Apr–Jul. |
Habitat | Wetlands, margins of lakes and streams | Swampy, peaty soil |
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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AL; CT; DE; GA; KY; MA; MD; ME; NC; NH; NJ; NY; RI; SC; TN; VA
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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.) |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 390. | FNA vol. 26, p. 395. |
Parent taxa | Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Laevigatae | Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Prisimaticae |
Sibling taxa | ||
Synonyms | I. caroliniana, I. georgiana, I. shrevei, I. virginica var. shrevei | |
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 39. (1753) | Pursh: Fl. Amer. Sept. 1: 30. (1814) |
Web links |