Iridaceae

• Authority

  Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

• Family

  Iridaceae

• Scientific Name

  Iridaceae

• Description

  Family Description - Fls perfect, regular or irregular; tep 6, mostly bicyclic, petaloid, all alike, or the inner and outer sets unlike, often all connate below into a tube; stamens 3, opposite the sep (outer tep), the filaments often connate below; ovary inferior, trilocular with axile placentation and mostly ± numerous ovules; style 3-lobed, its branches sometimes again divided; fr a loculicidal capsule, or sometimes indehiscent; embryo linear, with a terminal cotyledon; endosperm fleshy, not starchy; mostly geophytic perennial herbs from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms; lvs simple, parallel-veined, narrow, mostly distichous, with an open sheathing base and an often equitant or gladiate, unifacial blade; infl terminal, often subtended by 1 or 2 expanded, bladeless sheaths forming a spathe. 80/1500, especially diversified in S. Afr.

• Discussion

  Spp. of Crocus and Gladiolus, not treated below, rarely escape from cult.

• Common Names

  The iris family