Mathew’s subgenus Limniris are Irises that grow from rhizomes and are beardless. They are native to North America, Africa, Europe and Asia. Many of these plants are found in wetlands and some require moist rich soils while others can dry out a little. Mathew has divided this group into two sections. One section is Lophiris or the Crested Irises. The other section is Limniris which includes all the rest. This section is further divided into many sub groupings. The only subgroup that we have included at this stage on our wiki is Pacific Coast Irises. All the others will be listed on this page. References for those beardless species on those two separate wiki pages noted above can be found alphabetically listed on the Iris wiki page.
Other Iris pages: Aril Irises - Belamcanda - Crested Irises - Garden Bearded Irises - Hermodactylus - Iris index - Juno Irises - Miscellaneous Irises - Pacific Coast Irises - Pardanthopsis - Reticulata Irises - Spanish Irises
Iris anguifuga from China has violet or blue flowers, spotted purple. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris brandzae see Iris sintenisii ssp. brandzae
Iris brevicaulis was long known as Iris foliosa. It is one of the so-called Louisiana irises, although this species ranges north into Ohio and west into Kansas. This is a low growing species whose leaves typically are taller than the inflorescence. The inflorescence itself is short and has a sort of zig-zag shape, with a flower at each angle. And because the inflorescence typically leans, the four to five inch flowers are rarely more than a foot above ground. This species is one parent of the now nearly century old hybrid Dorothea K. Williamson. Photographed by and in the garden of Jim McKenney on June 11, 2006.
Iris ensata is a plant from eastern Asia (Japan, China) with purple or reddish purple flowers. There have been hundreds of selections made including white and bicolors, all veined and with spotted falls. Many flowers are very showy. These plants are often grown near water.
Iris ensata 'Variegata' - This is known as Japanese Iris and it enjoys damp, rich, acidic soils and full sun. Most of the named cultivars of this Iris have very large showy flowers, but this variegated form has flowers that are closer to the wild forms. The foliage is the main attraction and remains beautiful throughout the growing season. Photo by Jay Yourch.
Iris foetidissima is the only species in the Series Foetidissimae. These have a tough almost woody rhizome, evergreen foliage and mostly bland pale and insignificant flowers. Some selections have more attractive well colored flowers, but the plants are often grown because they tolerate a good deal of shade and produce large seed pods filled with bright red seeds that spill from the pods when ripe in autumn. Some selections have yellow, orange or white seeds. Common names include Stinking Iris, Stinking Gladwin, Gladdon, Gladwin Iris, Beef steak iris. It is native to Western Europe including the British Isles. The plentiful seeds and its robust nature ensure that once grown it is hard to get rid of, but it is not hardy in northern gardens. Despite the above list of common names a lot of effort crushing the foliage is required to generate any aroma. The leaf shown in the third photo is about 20mm wide. The fourth photo shows seed pods forming and buds. Photos David Pilling.
Iris graminea has a distribution which ranges from Spain, France, Northern Italy to the Caucasus. Although related to Iris spuria, it is a much smaller plant and for garden purposes has little in common with the large spuria cultivars. A plum-like scent is often attributed to the flowers of this plant, although the flower shown in the photograph had a wax-like scent devoid of floral or fruity qualities. These photographs were taken by Jim McKenney on May 17, 2006 in his zone 7 Montgomery County, Maryland, USA garden. In the first photo the white patches on the undersides of the falls are apparent.
Iris henryi - This rare Iris is a really choice little Chinese woodland species with very narrow grassy leaves and light blue flowers on 3" stems. Photos by Mark McDonough taken in May 2006. Each flower stem has two buds. The second photo shows the developing seed capsules.
Iris koreana - from Korea, this is a dwarf, spreading Iris, somewhat like a yellow-flowered Iris cristata and suitable for similar woodsy conditions although taking sun too. One of Darrell's great introductions from his Epimedium nursery known as Garden Vision. Two photos by Mark McDonough.
Iris lactea Pallas is from Northeastern Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Russian central Asia, Tibet, China, Mongolia, and Korea. It has pale bluish-violet to white flowers. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris laevigata This species from Eastern Asia is often aquatic.
Iris laevigata 'Alboviolacea' photographed by Bob Rutemoeller at Kew Gardens in the UK.
Iris laevigata 'Variegata' is a beautiful form of Rabbitear Iris. It is native to Japan and grows well in damp soils or shallow water. Photo taken May 2005 at Plant Delights Nursery by Nestor White.
Iris minutoaurea Makino is from Korea and China and is cultivated in Japan. It has yellow flowers. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris missouriensis is a widespread species that grows in intermountain western North America with flowers in various shades of white to blue lavender. It is commonly found growing in wet meadows, seeps, and open woodland. It can be found in places that dry out later in the year as it only needs moisture in the spring. Members of the pbs list have found it challenging to grow from seed. Photo from Jim Duggan taken in San Diego County, California.
Iris odaesanensis - Photographed in Darrell Probst's fabulous Epimedium nursery known as Garden Vision, this Iris is among several exciting Korean species suitable for a partly shaded woodland situation, but will take about 6 hours of sun as well. Darrell has several forms... all are beautiful, looking somewhat like a large white I. cristata with a mass of pure white flowers and distinct yellow signals. Photos by Mark McDonough. In the last photo, notice the one aberrant fused flower.
Iris orientalis is the most well-known species in the section Spuria. Coming from Turkey and Greece, it is also found naturalized in old homesteads in Southern Italy. A very long lived plant, the form I grow is very tall, up to 170cm., and with time developes in a large round clump. I find references to an Iris ochroleuca gigantea and 'Shelford Giant' which I believe to be this form. Photo and text by Angelo Porcelli
Iris pseudacorus, yellow flag or pale-yellow iris. Native to Western Europe including Great Britain, Western Asia and North West Africa, but planted all over the world. In some environments it is highly invasive and banned. Grows in wet conditions. Photos Janos Agoston.
Iris ruthenica Ker-Gawl is from Eastern Europe and Asia. It has fragrant violet flowers. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris setosa is a species from various parts of the world (Eastern Asia, Canada, and the United States). Flowers are bright purple. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris sibirica has blue violet and occasionally white flowers and is native to Italy, eastern Europe to Lake Baikal, Turkey and the Caucasus and blooms late spring to early summer. It is a wetland beardless rhizome type. In May 2004 we saw Iris at Wisley Gardens in England that were named with cultivar names. We didn't know if they are actually this species or Siberian hybrids (Iris sibirica × Iris sanguinea). The signs called them Iris sibirica 'Heavenly Blue' and Iris sibirica 'Navy Blue'. Photos by Bob Rutemoeller.
Iris sintenisii is from Southern Italy, the Balkan peninsula and Turkey. It has deep violet-blue flowers with white falls and violet veins. The plant is practically impossible to spot in the grass when not in flower since the leaves are totally grass-like. This species is closely related to Iris graminea but in Italy these species have a distinct distribution, with Iris sintenisii occurring only in Southern Italy. Ants are the main pollinator; they visit actively the scentless flowers which secrete droplets of nectar at the base of tepals. Photos in habitat in Apulia by Angelo Porcelli
Iris sintenisii ssp. brandzae , syn. Iris brandzae is a rare species from Romania with narrow leaves. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris speculatrix is from southeast China and has short evergreen leaves and lavender flowers. Photo by John Lonsdale.
Iris spuria has a vast range from Sweden to north Africa and east to Iran. Here is one of its garden hybrids, blooming on June 3, 2008 in the zone 7 Maryland garden of Jim McKenney. It took three years for this plant to bloom from a freshly dug division.
Iris unguicularis is a species from the Mediterranean region with pale to rich lavender fragrant flowers. It is a late autumn and winter flowering species with flowers blooming low to the ground and sometimes hidden by the leaves. This species is best grown unmulched with little to no summer water. Cutting the leaves back in late summer to early fall allows the beautiful flowers to be more visible. New leaves appear September and October and this is the best time to divide this species. The first photo below by Bob Rutemoeller shows one that is a darker color than the cultivar grown by Rob Hamilton (see below). The second photo shows a a freshly picked flower which was blooming on November 24, 2006 in the zone 7 Montgomery County, Maryland garden of Jim McKenney. This image gives a good sense of the size of the flower of this species. Photos 3-5 were taken by Nhu Nguyen at the UC Botanical Garden showing original stock collected in Greece of this species.
Iris unguicularis 'Starkers Pink' grown and photographed by Rob Hamilton.
Iris verna is from the southeastern United States. It flowers is early to mid spring and has lilac blue flowers with an orange median stripe on the falls. Photos by John Lonsdale.
Iris virginica known as the Eastern or Southern Blue Flag is native to the southeastern coast of the United States. It flowers late spring. And has blue, violet, lilac, lavender or occasionally pinkish-lavender or white flowers.
Iris virginica var. shrevei growing in the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center. Native to Texas as well as the Mississippi Valley to Canada. Photo taken April 2004 by Lee Poulsen.
'Contraband Girl' is a vigorous, tall selection of I. virginica with blue flowers. Photo taken April 2007 buy Jay Yourch.
See related PBS wiki pages:
Aril Irises - Belamcanda - Crested Irises - Garden Bearded Irises - Hermodactylus - Iris index - Juno Irises - Miscellaneous Irises - Pacific Coast Irises - Pardanthopsis - Reticulata Irises - Spanish Irises