Iris is the largest genus in the Iridaceae family. It contains more than 300 species and many hybrids and cultivars. It's useful to become familiar with the groups or subgenus divisions, as this helps to sort out similar species, an aid when approaching their cultivation.

The topic of the week for March 2004 was Iris. The Introduction was supplied by Robert Pries. He also prepared a document summarizing the proposed changes in how this genus could be divided in the future. This word document,Iris Summary, will take a little time to open, but can be saved much quicker to home computers. A less elegantly formatted htm document, New Iris Classification, was prepared for people who could not open the word document.

Three genera that were formerly separated from Iris are now included in the genus: Hermodactylus, Belamcanda, and Pardanthopsis.

Bulbous irises with wiki pages are Juno Irises, Reticulata Irises, and Spanish Irises. Hybrids of Spanish Irises are called Dutch Irises and will be pictured on the Spanish Irises page.

Irises with rhizomes that have wiki pages are Aril Irises, Garden Bearded Irises, Beardless Irises, Crested Irises, and Pacific Coast Irises.
Click on the name in the table below to find more information and/or to see photographs of the named species or cultivar.


Iris albicans Iris anguifuga Iris atropurpurea Iris attica Iris aucheri
Iris bakeriana Iris bicapitata Iris 'Big Smile' Iris brandzae Iris brevicaulis
Iris 'Bronze Beauty' Iris bucharica Iris caucasica Iris confusa Iris cristata
Iris cycloglossa Iris danfordiae Iris 'Dardanus' Iris dichotoma Iris domestica
Iris douglasiana Iris ensata Iris galatica Iris gatesii Iris gracilipes
Iris graeberiana Iris graminea Iris 'Harmony' Iris henryi Iris histrio
Iris histrioides Iris hoogiana Iris humilis Iris hyrcana Iris iberica
Iris inconspicua Iris innominata Iris japonica Iris 'Katherine Hodgkin' Iris kirkwoodii
Iris kochii Iris kolpakowskiana Iris koreana Iris korolkowii Iris kuschakewiczii
Iris lactea Iris lacustris Iris 'Lady Beatrice Stanley' Iris laevigata Iris lutescens
Iris macrosiphon Iris magnifica Iris mandschurica Iris minutoaurea Iris munzii
Iris 'Nada' Iris narbutii Iris odaesanensis Iris orchioides Iris 'Oriental Beauty'
Iris palaestina Iris pallida Iris pamphylica Iris paradoxa Iris planifolia
Iris pseudopumila Iris purdyi Iris reichenbachii Iris reticulata Iris rosenbachiana
Iris ruthenica Iris 'Sapphire Beauty' Iris sari Iris schachtii Iris setosa
Iris 'Sheila Ann Germaney' Iris sibirica Iris sicula Iris 'Sindpers' Iris sintenisii
Iris speculatrix Iris stenophylla Iris stolonifera Iris suaveolens Iris tectorum
Iris tenax Iris tigridia Iris tuberosa Iris unguicularis Iris verna
Iris vicaria Iris virginica Iris warleyensis Iris wattii Iris wilmottiana
Iris winogradowii Iris zaprjagajewii

To see more Iris pictures go to the SIGNA species database


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