332 Iridaceae Iris 



There are two distinct forms in the state. "The common and typical form 

 has the lower surface of the leaves glabrous and the other has the lower 

 surface of the leaves rather densely pubescent. 

 Va. to Mo., southw. to Fla. and La. 



44. IRIDACEAE Lindl. Iris Family 



Leaves long and narrow, all or at least some of them 1 cm wide; flowers large, at least 



2 cm long; capsules generally more than 1 cm long; perennials with creeping 



rhizomes. 



Flowers blue to lilac (albino forms rare), usually few, more than 3 cm long; sepals 



recurved or spreading while the petals are erect, both usually widest above the 



middle; seeds irregular in shape 1264. Iris, p. 332. 



Flowers orange yellow, mottled with many crimson purple spots, generally less than 

 3 cm long; sepals and petals remaining in the same plane, not reflexed, narrow- 

 elliptic in shape, persistent and coiled together on top of the ovary after 



flowering; seed globose, black, shining 1285. Belamcanda, p. 333. 



Leaves long and narrow but none 1 cm wide; flowers regular, less than 2 cm long; 

 capsules usually globose and less than 1 cm long; seeds globose, small; perennials 

 without rhizomes 1286. Sisyrinciiium, p. 334. 



1264/IRIS [Tourn.] L. Iris 



[E. Anderson. The species problem in Iris. Ann. Missouri Bot. Gard. 23: 

 457-509. 1936.] 



Plants less than 1.5 dm high; rootstocks slender, creeping near the surface; flowers 

 light lavender, appearing the last of April to the last of May; perianth tube usually 



4-5 cm long; sepals crested but not bearded; capsules sharply triangular 



1. 7. cristata. 



Plants more than 1.5 dm high; rootstocks thickened and not very close to the surface; 

 flowers blue to lilac, appearing the last of May to the last of June. 

 Capsules hexagonal ; stem decumbent or prostrate, bearing flowers from near the 



base 2. I. brevicaulis. 



Capsules 3-angled; stem erect, bearing flowers on the upper part. 



Petals obovate-spatulate, nearly as long as the sepals, thin in texture, readily 

 wilting; sepals with a bright yellow, pubescent blotch at the base, the hairs 

 longer than the thickness of the sepal; capsule usually long and narrow, inner 

 surface dull; seed round to D-shaped, dull, with occasional broad depressions 



as seen under a hand lens 3. I. virginica var. Shrevei. 



Petals lanceolate, much shorter than the sepals, firm in texture, not readily wilting; 

 sepals usually without a conspicuous spot at the base, when present, greenish 

 or greenish yellow, the pubescence of microscopic hairs shorter than the thick- 

 ness of the sepal; capsule short and thick, inner surface shining; seed all 

 D-shaped in outline, the surface appearing regularly pitted, the pits in definite 

 rows under a hand lens. (Range concides very nearly with that of the 



northern coniferous forest, but should be sought in northern Indiana.) 



/. versicolor. 



1. Iris cristata Ait. Crested Iris. Map 681. Local in the knobstone 

 area from Monroe County southward. The Randolph County record is the 

 only one from the glacial area. I found it in a low woods with beech and 

 white ash. In the knobstone area it is usually found on the bases of 

 wooded slopes and where found, it generally forms large colonies. 



Md., Ohio to Mo., southw. to Ga. and Tex. 



