List of Iris species explained

Subgenus Iris

Bearded rhizomatous irises

Section Iris

• Iris adriatica Trinajstic ex Mitic
• Iris albertii Reg.
• Iris albicans  - white cemetery iris, white flag iris
• Iris alexeenkoi Grossh.
• Iris aphylla L.  - stool iris, table iris, leafless iris (including I. nudicaulis)
  • Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica (Waldst. & Kit.) Helgi
• Iris attica (Boiss. & Heldr.) Hayek
• Iris benacensis A.Kern. ex Stapf
• Iris bicapitata Colas
• Iris croatica  - Perunika I.Horvat & M.D.Horvat
• Iris cypriana Foster & Baker
• Iris flavescens Delile  - lemonyellow iris (= I. variegata?)
• Iris furcata Bieb.  - forked iris
• Iris × germanica L.  - German bearded iris (includes I. × barbata)
• Iris × germanica nothovar. florentina Dykes
• Iris glaucescens Bunge
• Iris griffithii Baker
• Iris hellenica Dionysios Mermygkas, Kit Tan & Artemios Yannitsaros
• Iris imbricata Lindl.
• Iris junonia Schott ex Kotschy
• Iris kashmiriana Baker
• Iris lutescens Lam. (including I. italica)

• Iris marsica I.Ricci & Colas.
• Iris mesopotamica  - Mesopotamian iris
• Iris orjenii  - Orjen iris Bräuchler & Cikovac
• Iris pallida  - sweet iris, Dalmatian iris Lam.
  • Iris pallida subsp. cengialti (Ambrosi ex A.Kern.) Foster
  • Iris pallida subsp. illyrica (Iris illyrica) (Tomm. ex Vis.) K.Richt.
• Iris perrieri Simonet ex P.Fourn.
• Iris pseudopumila Tineo
• Iris pumila L.
• Iris purpureobractea B.Mathew & T.Baytop
• Iris relicta Colas.
• Iris reichenbachii Heuff.  - Reichenbach's iris
• Iris revoluta Colas.
• Iris sambucina L.
• Iris scariosa Willd. ex Link
• Iris schachtii Markgr.
• Iris setina Colas.
• Iris suaveolens Boiss. & Reut. (including I. iliensis)
• Iris subbiflora Brot.
• Iris taochia Woronow ex Grossh.
• Iris timofejewii Woronow
• Iris variegata L.  - Hungarian iris

Section Oncocyclus

• Iris acutiloba C.A.Mey. (including I. ewbankiana)
• Iris antilibanotica Dinsm.
• Iris assadiana Chaudhary, Kirkw. & C.Weymolauth
• Iris atrofusca Baker
• Iris atropurpurea Baker
• Iris auranitica Dinsm.
• Iris barnumiae Baker & Foster
• Iris basaltica Dinsm.
• Iris bismarckiana Reg.  - Nazareth Iris
• Iris bostrensis Mouterde
• Iris camillae Grossh.
• Iris cedreti Dinsm. ex Chaudhary
• Iris damascena Mouterde
• Iris gatesii Foster
• Iris grossheimii Woronow ex Grossh.
• Iris haynei Baker  - Gilboa Iris
• Iris hermona Dinsm.  - Hermon Iris
• Iris heylandiana Boiss. & Reut.
• Iris iberica Hoffm.
  • Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima (Sosn.) Fed. & Takht.
  • Iris iberica subsp. lycotis (Woronow) Takht.
• Iris kirkwoodii (including I. calcarea)
• Iris lortetii Barbey ex Boiss.
  • Iris lortetii var. samariae (Dinsm.) Feinbrun
• Iris mariae Barbey.
• Iris meda Stapf
• Iris nigricans Dinsm.
• Iris nectarifera Güner
• Iris paradoxa Steven
• Iris petrana Dinsm.
• Iris sari Schott ex Bak.
• Iris schelkownikowii Fomin
• Iris sprengeri Siehe
• Iris susiana L.  - Mourning Iris
• Iris swensoniana Chaudhary, G.Kirkw. & C.Weymouth
• Iris westii Dinsm.
• Iris yebrudii Dinsm. ex Chaudhary

Section Hexapogon

• Iris falcifolia Bunge
• Iris longiscapa Ledeb.

Section Psammiris

• Iris arenaria Waldst. & Kit.
• Iris bloudowii Ledeb.
• Iris curvifolia Y.T.Zhao
• Iris humilis Georgi
• Iris kamelinii Alexeeva
• Iris mandshurica Maxim.
• Iris potaninii Maxim.
• Iris vorobievii N.S.Pavlova

Section Pseudoregelia

• Iris cuniculiformis Noltie & K.Y.Guan
• Iris dolichosiphon Noltie
• Iris goniocarpa Bak.
• Iris hookeriana Fost.
• Iris ivanovae Doronkin
• Iris kemaonensis Wall.
• Iris leptophylla Lingelsheim
• Iris narcissiflora Diels.
• Iris sikkimensis Dykes
• Iris tigridia Bunge ex Ledeb.

Section Regelia

• Iris afghanica Wendelbo
• Iris darwasica Regel
• Iris heweri Grey-Wilson & Mathew
• Iris hoogiana Dykes
• Iris korolkowii Regel
• Iris kuschkensis Grey-Wilson & Mathew
• Iris lineata Foster ex Regel
• Iris stolonifera Maxim.

Subgenus Limniris

Beardless rhizomatous irisesIt has been generally divided into 2 sections, 'Limniris', which is further divided down to about 16 series and 'Lophiris' (also known as 'Evansias' or crested iris.^[1]

Section Limniris (listed in alphabetical order)

Series Californicae Pacific Coast irises

• Iris bracteata  - Siskiyou Iris
• Iris chrysophylla  - Yellow-leaved Iris
• Iris douglasiana  - Douglas Iris
• Iris fernaldii  - Fernald's Iris
• Iris hartwegii  - Hartweg's Iris, Rainbow Iris, Sierra Iris
• Iris innominata  - Del Norte Iris
• Iris macrosiphon  - Bowltube Iris
• Iris munzii  - Munz's Iris, Tulare Lavender Iris
• Iris purdyi  - Purdy's Iris
• Iris tenax  - Tough-leaved Iris, Oregon Iris
• Iris tenuissima Dykes  - (Long-tubed Iris)

Series Chinenses (from east Asia)

• Iris henryi Baker
• Iris koreana Nakai
• Iris minutoaurea Makino
• Iris odaesanensis Y.N.Lee
• Iris proantha Diels
• Iris rossii Baker
• Iris speculatrix Hance

Series Ensatae

• Iris lactea Pall.

Series Foetidissimae

• Iris foetidissima L.  - Stinking Iris, Gladwin Iris, Stinking Gladwin, Gladdon, Roast-beef Plant

Series Hexagonae (known as the Louisiana irises)

• Iris brevicaulis Raf.  - Zigzag Iris
• Iris fulva Ker-Gawl.  - Copper Iris
• Iris giganticaerulea  - Giant Blue Iris, Giant Blue Flag
• Iris hexagona Walt.  - Dixie Iris
• Iris nelsonii Randolph  - (Abbeville Iris)
• Iris savannarum Small  - Prairie iris

Series Laevigatae (which includes the Japanese irises)

• Iris ensata Thunb.  - Japanese Iris, hanashōbu (Japanese) (including I. kaempferi)
• Iris laevigata Fisch  - Rabbitear Iris, Shallow-flowered Iris, kakitsubata (Japanese)
• Iris maackii Maxim.
• Iris pseudacorus L.  - Yellow Iris, Yellow Flag
• Iris versicolor L.  - Larger Blue Flag, Harlequin Blueflag
• Iris virginica L.  - Virginia Iris

Series Longipetalae (Rocky Mountain or long-petaled iris)

• Iris longipetala Herb.  - (Coast Iris)
• Iris missouriensis  - Rocky Mountain Iris, Western Blue Flag

Series Prismaticae (contains just one species from America)

• Iris prismaticaPursh ex Ker-Gawl.  - (Slender Blue Flag)

Series Ruthenicae

• Iris ruthenica Ker-Gawl.
• Iris uniflora Pall.

Series Sibiricae(Siberian irises)

• Iris bulleyana Dykes
• Iris chrysographes  - Black Iris
• Iris clarkei Baker
• Iris delavayi Micheli
• Iris forrestii Dykes
• Iris sanguinea Hornem. ex Donn  - Blood Iris, ayame (Japanese)
• Iris sibirica  - Siberian Iris
• Iris typhifolia Kitag.
• Iris wilsonii C.H.Wright

Series Spuriae

• Iris brandzae Prod.
• Iris crocea Jacquem. ex R.C.Foster (including I. aurea)
• Iris graminea L.
• Iris halophila Pall.
  • Iris halophila var. sogdiana (Bunge) Grubov
• Iris kerneriana Asch. & Sint.
• Iris ludwigii Maxim.
• Iris notha M.Bieb.
• Iris orientalis Mill.  - (Yellow-banded Iris)
• Iris pontica Zapal.
• Iris pseudonotha Galushko
• Iris sintenisii Janka
• Iris spuria  - Blue Iris
  • Iris spuria subsp. carthaliniae (Fomin) B.Mathew
  • Iris spuria subsp. demetrii (Achv. & Mirzoeva) B.Mathew
  • Iris spuria subsp. maritima (Dykes) P.Fourn.
  • Iris spuria subsp. musulmanica (Fomin) Takht.
• Iris xanthospuria B.Mathew & T.Baytop

Series Syriacae(species with swollen leaf bases and spiny bristles)

• Iris grant-duffii Baker
• Iris masia Foster

Series Tenuifoliae(mostly semi-desert plants)

• Iris anguifuga Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue
• Iris bungei Maxim.
• Iris cathayensis Migo
• Iris farreri Dykes
• Iris kobayashii Kitag.
• Iris loczyi Kanitz
• Iris qinghainica Y.T.Zhao
• Iris songarica Schrenk
• Iris tenuifolia Pall.
• Iris ventricosa Pall.

Series Tripetalae (mostly having three petals)

• Iris hookeri Penny  - Hooker's Iris
• Iris setosa Pallas ex Link  - (Beachhead Iris)
• Iris tridentata Pursh  - Savanna Iris

Series Unguiculares

• Iris lazica Albov
• Iris unguicularis Poir.

Series Vernae(contains just one species from America)

• Iris verna L.  - Dwarf Violet Iris

Section Lophiris

• Iris confusa  - Bamboo Iris
• Iris cristata  - Crested Iris
• Iris formosana Ohwi
• Iris henryi A.Gray
• Iris japonica Thunb.
• Iris lacustris  - Dwarf Lake Iris
• Iris latistyla Y.T.Zhao
• Iris milesii Foster
• Iris speculatrix Hance
• Iris subdichotoma Y.T.Zhao
• Iris tectorum Maxim.  - (Wall Iris)
• Iris tenuis S.Wats.  - (Clackamas Iris)
• Iris wattii Baker ex Hook.f.

Section Unguiculares

• Iris lazica Albov
• Iris unguicularis Poiret

Unplaced hybrids

• Iris thompsonii R.C.Foster  - (Thompson's Iris) (formerly in I. innominata)
• Iris × robusta E.Anderson.  - (Robust Iris) (I. versicolor × I. Virginica)
• Iris × sancti-cyriJ.Rousseau  - (Saint-Cyr iris) (I. hookeri × I. versicolor)

Subgenus Xiphium

Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises. Formerly genus Xiphion.Section Xiphium

• Iris boissieri Henriq
• Iris filifolia Boiss.
• Iris juncea Poir.
• Iris latifolia  - English Iris
• Iris lusitanica Ker Gawl.
• Iris rutherfordii M Rodriguez,P Vargas,M Carine and S Jury
• Iris serotina Willk. in Willk. & Lange
• Iris tingitana Boiss. & Reut.  - (Morocco Iris)
• Iris xiphium syn. Iris x hollandica^[2]  - Spanish Iris, Dutch Iris, Small Bulbous-rooted Iris

Subgenus Nepalensis

Bulbous irises. Formerly genus Junopsis.

Section Nepalensis

• Iris collettii Hook.
• Iris decora Wall.
• Iris staintonii H Hara
• Iris barbatula Noltie & Guan

Subgenus Scorpiris

Smooth-bulbed bulbous irises known as "junos". Formerly genus Juno.Section Scorpiris

• Iris albomarginata R.C.Foster
• Iris aucheri (Baker) Sealy (including I. sindjarensis)
• Iris bucharica Foster
• Iris caucasica Hoffm.
• Iris cycloglossa Wendelbo
• Iris drepanophylla Aitch. & Baker
• Iris fosteriana Aitch. & Baker
• Iris graeberiana Sealy
• Iris kuschakewicziiB.Fedtsch
• Iris magnifica Vved.
• Iris maracandica (Vved.) Wendelbo
• Iris narynensis O.Fedtsch.
• Iris narbutii O.Fedtsch.
• Iris orchioides Carriere

• Iris palaestina (Bak.) Boiss.
• Iris persica L.
• Iris planifolia (Mill.) Fiori & Paol.
• Iris postii Mouterde
• Iris pseudocaucasica Grossh.
• Iris regis-uzziae Feinbrun
• Iris rosenbachiana Reg.
• Iris stenophylla Hausskn ex Baker
• Iris tubergeniana Foster (Vved)
• Iris vicaria Vved.
• Iris warleyensis Foster
• Iris willmottiana Foster
• Iris zaprjagajevii Abramov
• Iris zenaidae Botschant

See more species listed in 'Scorpiris' subgenus.

Subgenus Hermodactyloides

Reticulate-bulbed bulbous irises. Formerly genus Iridodictyum.

Section Hermodactyloides

• Iris danfordiae (Baker) Boiss.
• Iris histrio Rchb.f.
• Iris histrioides (G.F.Wilson) S.Arn.
• Iris hyrcana Woronow ex Grossh
• Iris kolpakowskiana Regel
• Iris pamphylica Hedge
• Iris pskemensis Ruskans
• Iris reticulata M Bieb. (includes Iris reticulata var. bakeriana Mathew and Wendelbo)
• Iris tuberosa L.
  • formerly Hermodactylus tuberosus
• Iris vartanii Foster
• Iris winkleri Regel
• Iris winogradowii Fomin

Subgenus Pardanthopsis^[3]

• Iris dichotoma Pall. (Vesper iris) (was formerly Pardanthopsis)
• Iris domestica (commonly known as blackberry lily, was once Belamcanda chinensis, but since 2005 now known as Iris domestica)^[4]

Notes and References

1. Book: Stebbings, Geoff . 1997. The Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises . Newton Abbot . David and Charles . 16–18 . 0715305395.
2. Web site: Iris hollandica . Uniprot . 2012-03-03.
3. Choi . Bokyung . Weiss-Schneeweiss . Hanna . Temsch . Eva M. . So . Soonku . Myeong . Hyeon-Ho . Jang . Tae-Soo . 2020-09-28 . Genome Size and Chromosome Number Evolution in Korean Iris L. Species (Iridaceae Juss.) . Plants . 9 . 10 . 1284 . 10.3390/plants9101284 . 2223-7747 . 7650623 . 32998465. free .
4. Web site: Belamcanda . pacificbulbsociety.org . 16 December 2014.