Key to Iridaceae

View taxon page for Iridaceae

Jepson Manual glossary definitions can be seen by moving your cursor over words underlined with dots.

1. Style branches petal-like, conspicuous, 

opposite 

1. Arranged in pairs along an axis - e.g., two leaves per node. 2. Occurring in the same rank, directly above or below, as 'stamens opposite petals'. 3. Located directly across from.

 stamens; outer perianth parts (sepals) unlike inner (petals); stamens free ..... IRIS

1' Style branches thread-like, not conspicuous, generally 

alternate 

1. Arranged singly, often spirally, along an axis - e.g., one leaf per node. 2. Occurring in different ranks, appearing to be between, not directly above or below, as 'stamens alternate petals'.

stamens; outer perianth parts ± like inner; stamens free or united at base

2. Flowers in umbel-like 

cymes 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the central or uppermost flower opens before the peripheral or lowermost flowers on any axis. see 2. In Asteraceae and some other groups, a cyme-like inflorescence is one in which the central or uppermost inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae, umbels enclosed by involucres in Eriogonum), instead of individual flowers, develop and mature before the peripheral or lowermost inflorescence units on any axis.

3. Perianth parts not alike, outer sepal-like, white adaxially, ± green abaxially, inner petal-like, generally white ..... [Libertia formosa]

3' Perianth parts ± alike, red-purple to magenta or ± blue, violet, yellow, occasionally pink or white

4. Stem not winged; perianth red-purple to magenta, occasionally pink or white, generally 18–33 mm; filaments fused ± in 

basal 

At or near the base of a plant or plant part. Especially said of leaves clustered near the ground or of a placenta confined to the base of an ovary.

1/2 ..... OLSYNIUM

4' Stem winged; perianth red-purple, ± blue, violet, yellow (white), generally < 18 mm; filaments ± completely free to ± completely fused ..... SISYRINCHIUM

2' Flowers not in umbel-like cymes

5. Flowers 1 on 

peduncles 

Stalk of an individual flower borne singly, not in an inflorescence, or of an entire inflorescence, or the corresponding structure in fruit; the stalk subtending an involucre (e.g., in Asteraceae, Polygonaceae).

; plant generally < 10 cm; leaves attached below ground, ± round to widely 

elliptic 

In the shape of a flattened circle or ellipse; wider than linear

in ×-section, generally 4-grooved ..... ROMULEA

5' Flowers in spikes or 

panicles 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the basal or lateral flowers (or some of them) open before the terminal or central flowers on any axis. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a panicle-like inflorescence is one in which at least some of the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are attached (stalked or unstalked) to branches and not directly to the main axis of the inflorescence and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

of spikes; plant generally > 20 cm; leaves attached below and above ground, flat with prominent midvein or cross-shaped in ×-section

6. Style branches divided ± to middle

7. Flower stem bent ± 90° below lowest flower, 

spike 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, an unbranched inflorescence in which the flowers are sessile and nearly always open from the bottom to the top of the inflorescence. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a spike-like inflorescence is one in which the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are sessile and attached directly to the main axis of the inflorescence, not to branches, and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

1-ranked; 

leaf 

Organ arising from a stem, generally composed of a stalk (petiole) and a flat, expanded, green, photosynthetic area (blade); distinguished from a leaflet by the presence in its axil of a bud, branch, thorn, or flower; sometimes with lateral, basal appendages (stipules); either simple (toothed, lobed, or dissected but not divided into leaflets) or compound (divided into leaflets).

 axils without 

bulblets 

1. Small bulb generally produced at the base of a bulb. 2. Any small, bulb-like structure that propagates a plant, often in a leaf or bract axil.

after flower ..... [Freesia leichtlinii subsp. alba]

7' Flower stem 

erect 

Upright; vertically oriented.

, spike 2-ranked; leaf axils with bulblets after flower or not ..... WATSONIA

6' Style branches 

entire 

Having margins that are continuous and smooth (i.e., without teeth, lobes, etc.).

or notched at tip

8. Flower bracts membranous or papery and crinkled, outer 3-lobed to -toothed or often cut into lance-linear segments in upper 1/2 or at tip, inner 2-lobed or -toothed

9. Flower bracts membranous, outer 3-lobed to -toothed; stamens attached at mouth ..... [Ixia maculata]

9' Flower bracts papery, crinkled, outer often cut into lance-linear segments in upper 1/2 or at tip; stamens attached in tube ..... [SPARAXIS]

8' Flower bracts green, soft or leathery, outer entire, inner notched at tip

10. Perianth tube abruptly enlarged above base, 

lobes 

1. A major expansion or bulge, such as on the margin of a leaf, sepal, or petal, or on the surface of an ovary. 2. The free tips of otherwise fused structures, such as sepals or petals; larger than teeth.

unequal, upper 1 > lower 5; inflorescence generally an erect spike (panicle) ..... CHASMANTHE

10' Perianth tube not abruptly enlarged above base, lobes subequal; inflorescence generally an arched spike or 

panicle 

1. In flowering plants excluding Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a branched inflorescence in which the basal or lateral flowers (or some of them) open before the terminal or central flowers on any axis. 2. In Asteraceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae, and some other groups, a panicle-like inflorescence is one in which at least some of the inflorescence units (e.g., heads in Asteraceae; spikelets in Cyperaceae and Poaceae), instead of individual flowers, are attached (stalked or unstalked) to branches and not directly to the main axis of the inflorescence and in which floral development may or may not proceed as in 1.

of spikes ..... CROCOSMIA

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