Blue iris

Iris spuria
Iris spuria
Conservation status
Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
(unranked):	Angiosperms
(unranked):	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Subfamily:	Iridoideae
Tribe:	Irideae
Genus:	Iris
Subgenus:	Limniris
Section:	Limniris
Species:	I. spuria
Binomial name
Iris spuria L.
Synonyms
Chamaeiris reichenbachiana (Klatt) M.B.Crespo Chamaeiris spuria (L.) Medik. Chamaeiris spuria var. danica (Dykes) M.B.Crespo Iris cardiopetala Borbás Iris gueldenstadtiana subsp. subbarbata (Joó) Nyman Iris reichenbachiana Klatt Iris sordida Retz. Iris spathacea J.St.-Hil. ex Roem. & Schult. [Illegitimate] Iris spathulata Lam. [Illegitimate] Iris spuria var. danica Dykes Iris spuria var. reichenbachiana (Klatt) Dykes Iris spuria subsp. spuria (None known) Iris spuria var. subbarbata (Joó) Baker Iris subbarbata Joó Limniris spuria (L.) Fuss Xiphion spurium (L.) Alef. Xyridion reichenbachianum (Klatt) Klatt Xyridion spurium (L.) Fourr.

Iris spuria is a species of the genus Iris, part of a subgenus series known as Limniris and in the Series Spuriae. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, from Europe, Asia and Africa. It has purple or lilac flowers, and slender, elongated leaves. It is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions and hybridized for use in the garden. It has several subspecies; Iris spuria subsp. carthaliniae (Achv. & Mirzoeva) B.Mathew, Iris spuria subsp. demetrii (Achv. & Mirzoeva) B.Mathew, Iris spuria subsp. maritima (Dykes) P.Fourn. and Iris spuria subsp. musulmanica (Fomin) Takht. It used to have 3 other subspecies, which have now been re-classified as separate species; Iris spuria subsp. halophila (now Iris halophila), Iris spuria ssp. sogdiana (now Iris halophile subsp. sogdiana) and Iris spuria subsp. notha (now Iris notha). It has many common names including 'blue iris', 'Spurious Iris' and 'bastard iris'.

It has a thin, slender rhizome, that is about 2 cm in diameter, fibrous and has a creeping habit. Under the rhizome are wiry roots.

The creeping habit creates compact clumps of plants. They can reach over 90 cm (35 in) wide.

It has erect, slender, sword-shaped, acuminate (ending in a point), glaucous green to blue green basal leaves. They can grow up to between 25–90 cm (10–35 in) long and 5–12 mm wide. They are normally nearly as long as the flowering stem. After the plant has flowered and set seed, the leaves die in the late summer.

It has a strong, erect, round stem, that can reach up to between 50–80 cm (20–31 in) long.

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Wikipedia