Bearded irises.
Rhizomatous irises.
Commonly seen garden plants that are mostly cultivars.
Clumping plants growing from superficial rhizomes.
The blue-green, sword-shaped leaves form basal fans.
They are divided into 6 groups from 20 cm to about 1 m high.
The erect inflorescence stems may be branched and most hold large heads of flowers.
They have typical iris flowers with 6 well developed tepals in 2 whorls.
The falls can be flared or falling and have smooth or ruffled edges.
At the base of the falls is a thick beard of raised hairs.
Beards are often yellow but can be white, blue, orange, mauve or red.
Some have beards on the standards as well as the falls.
The 3 erect standards may also have ruffled edges.
Basic colours are shades of blue to purple, white and yellow.
Other colours include pink, orange, brown, cream and apricot.
The falls and standards can be the same or different colours or have flushes of a second colour.
Tepal rims may be in a second colour and the falls may have veins in a contrasting colour.
The Royal irises have only a few narrow, sickle-shaped leaves.
Inflorescences usually only have 1 large flower often with very dark colours.
The dark purples look almost black and some have a velvety appearance.
J.F.
