Iridaceae or the Iris family is a worldwide diverse group found in mostly temperate regions of perennial evergreen or deciduous herbs with roots usually from underground rhizomes, bulbs or corms. This family belongs to the order Asparagales. Plants with simple leaves with parallel veins are mostly arranged in a fan arising from the rootstock or stem. Stems are simple or branching and are associated with bracts. The bisexual brightly colored flowers usually have 6 showy tepals, 3 stamens and an inferior 3 chambered ovary and are long-lasting or short-lived. Many of them are intricately adapted to attract pollinators, provide landing stages, and reward them with pollen, nectar or oils. A large number of the genera and species occur in Southern Africa and there are a number of South American genera too. The reference book that outlines the characteristics of this family, the natural history, and evolution as well as the most recent classification system was published in 2008 and was written by Peter Golblatt and John C. Manning.
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