Northeast Wetland Flora
Field Office Guide to Plant Species
Iris pseudacorus L.
- Family: Iris (Iridaceae)
- Flowering: June-August
- Field Marks: This wild iris is distinguished by its yellow flower.
- Habitat: Marshes, meadows, along streams.
- Habit: Perennial herb from stout rhizomes.
- Stems: Upright, branched or unbranched, up to 2 feet tall, smooth, flattened at base.
- Leaves: Elongated, up to 3 feet long, up to 3/4 inch wide, smooth.
- Flowers: 1-several in a cluster, subtended by spathe-like bracts, yellow, up to 4 inches across.
- Sepals: 3, obovate, up to 3 inches long, yellow with dark brown markings, narrowed to a claw at the base, spreading.
- Petals: 3, yellow, much shorter than the sepals, spreading or ascending.
- Stamens: 3, attached to the base of the sepals, concealed by the styles.
- Pistils: Ovary inferior, 3- or 6-angled; styles petal-like, arching, yellow.
- Fruits: Capsules sharply 6-angled, 2-3 1/2 inches long, ovoid to ellipsoid.
- Notes: This is a popular species in gardens, but it has a tendency to become established in moist areas in the wild. It is a native of Europe.
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