DISTRIBUTION AND DESCRIPTION 
Native Irises of various types are widely distributed in Louisi- 
ana, but are more numerous in the Gulf Coast area. 
“The Iris Center of the Universe” was the phrase coined by 
the late Dr. John K. Small, authority on plant life, to describe the 
rich, wild Iris fields of South Louisiana. Dr. Small, as curator of 
the New York Botanical Gardens, was one of the first to describe 
these fields and to call attention to their magnitude, to the great 
variety of the flowers, and to the unusual size of the plants. 
Under best growing conditions in their native habitat, some 
flower stalks over six feet tall have been found, and some as low 
as four inches. This fascinating and popular wild flower ranges 
in color variations from white through all the lavenders, blues, and 
violet to deepest purple. There are also many color values of pink, 
rose, red, bronze, yellow, bi-tone, bi-color, and even plicatae. 
The vicinities of New Orleans, Thibodaux, Houma, Morgan 
City, Prairieville, and Abbeville are melting pots of rainbow colors, 
the natural hybrids. These are the hybrids resulting from natural 
crosses of two or more of the following three types: tall blue (Gi- 
ganticaerulea), rust-red (Fulva), and dwarf blue (Foliosa). 
The Abbeville fields are located near a converging point of 
several streams where the low blooming (Foliosa), the medium- 
size rust-red (Fulva), and the tall blooming blues (Giganticaerulea) 
meet. The resulting natural hybrids are masses of rainbow colors. 
The area is referred to locally by Iris collectors as the “Iris Heaven.” 
“TYPES OF NATIVE IRISES 
In discussing types of native Irises, the author proposes to 
give only a general description of five types found in Louisiana. 
He makes no attempt at botanical classification. Much research 
work needs to be done by botanists and geneticists on systematic 
classification of native Irises. 
Following is a brief description of five groupings of types found 
in Louisiana: 
1. Rust-red (Fulva)—Small flowers with many blooms of rust- 
red shades on erect stem about 30 inches in height. Both 
petals and sepals droop and have no signal patch. It occurs 
in color values of crimson, pink, and even clear yellow. It 
grows abundantly in the lowlands of Mississippi and Red 
River valleys, being more numerous and larger in size near 
the Gulf Coast. This iris was first described in 1812. It occurs 
naturally as far north as Missouri and Ohio. 
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