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Key to the subgenera of Iris
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Key to the species of Iris
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1
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Plants with a bulb; leaves channelled, quadrangular or almost cylindrical.
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(2)
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Plants not bulbous, usually with a slender to fat rhizome; leaves flat but may be very narrow.
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(3)
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Plants with a bulb; leaves channelled, quadrangular or almost cylindrical.
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(2)
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Plants usually with a rhizome, leaves flat, sometimes very narrow.
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(5)
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2 (1)
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Bulb tunics fibrous and netted; leaves four-sided in section.
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Bulb tunics papery to tough and leathery, never netted-fibrous; leaves channelled. Bulbs usually with thickened fleshy roots present when dormant; standard much reduced in size.
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Bulb tunics papery to tough and leathery, leaves chanelled (Bulbs usually with thickened fleshy roots; standard much reduced in size); subgenus Scorpiris).
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(3)
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Bulb tunics fibrous and netted, leaves 4-sided in section (subgenus Hermodactyloides).
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1 Iris reticulata
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3 (1)
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Plant with tiny rhizomes and markedly swollen tuber-like storage roots as well as fibrous ones.
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Plant with well-developed rhizomes, although sometimes very slender and stolon-like; roots not swollen and tuber-like (except in section Hexapogon subgenus Iris).
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(4)
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Aerial stem either very short or if elongated then internodes ± concealed by comparatively broad leaves.
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(4)
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Aerial stem much elongated already during flowering, with internodes clearly visible between narrow (3-8 mm broad) leaves.
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2 Iris aitchisonii
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4 (3)
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Falls without an obvious beard but may have coxcomb-like crests, or rarely a fine pubescence of very short unicellular papillae on the haft.
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Storage roots short, swollen. Leaves 1-3 cm broad during flowering. Seeds arillate.
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4 Iris platyptera
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Falls with a distinct beard of fairly long hairs.
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4 Iris subg. Iris
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Storage roots long, not markedly swollen. Leaves 6-16 mm broad, with a distinct 0.5-1.0 mm broad white horny margin. Seeds without aril.
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3 Iris stocksii
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5 (1)
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Plant with well developed rhizomes, sometimes slender and stolon-like; roots not swollen and tuber-like (except in section Hexapogon, subgenus Iris). Standard erect.
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(6)
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Plant with tiny rhizomes and markedly swollen tuber-like as well as fibrous roots (Subgenus Nepalensis). Standard narrowly lanceolate, bent outwards and downwards like fall.
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5 Iris decora
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6 (5)
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Falls with a distinct beard of fairly long hairs (Subgenus Iris).
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(7)
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Falls without an obvious beard but may have coxcomb-like crest, or rarely a fine pubescence of very short unicellular papillae on the haft (Subgenus Limniris).
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(11)
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7 (6)
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Rhizomes stout, peduncle (aerial stem) unbranched or branched. Falls bearded, hairs on falls multicellular. Seeds non-arillate.
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(8)
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Rhizomes compact, non-stoloniferous or very short and knobby, hairs on falls unicellular. Seeds arillate.
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(9)
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8 (7)
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Bracts scarious at least in the upper half, outer one up to 5 cm long. Flowers usually violet, many colour forms present.
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7 Iris germanica
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Bracts green, only a narrow margin scarious, outer one 7-11 cm long. Flowers white or pale lilac-blue.
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6 Iris kashmiriana
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9 (7)
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Rhizomes compact. Beard present only on falls.
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(10)
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Rhizomes very short or knobbly with long straight fleshy roots. Beard present on falls till middle of blade and standards sparsely bearded near base.
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8 Iris falcifolia
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10 (9)
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Flowers on short (5-12 cm) peduncle (aerial stem); hypanthial tube only 2-3 cm long. Flower colour variable but usually lilac, purple or bluish with darker mottling and albino.
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9 Iris hookeriana
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Flowers ± without peduncle (aerial stem) but are carried on long hypanthium tube c. 5.0-7.5 cm long. Flower colour lilac-purple mottled and blotched darker as if infected with virus.
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10 Iris kemaonensis
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11 (6)
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Crest on falls of flowers absent.
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(12)
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Prominent cockscomb-like crest present on the falls of flowers.
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11 Iris milesii
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12 (11)
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Capsule with 6 ribs running longitudinally, 2 ribs at each of the 3 corners (rather than equally spaced around the capsule. Seeds with a loose papery coat.
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(13)
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Capsule not as above.
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(16)
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13 (12)
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Flowers not deep golden yellow, blade of fall equal to or shorter than haft.
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(14)
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Flowers deep golden yellow; blade of fall longer than haft.
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12 Iris crocea
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14 (13)
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Flowers >= 6 cm in diameter; white, dingy white yellow or grey purple, sometimes golden yellow or bright deep blue or violet blue.
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(15)
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Flowers 4-6 cm in diameter, pale blue varying to greenish lilac; falls 3.5-4.0 cm long, haft narrow, twice as long as blade.
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13b Iris spuria subsp. sogdiana
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15 (14)
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Flowers (6)- 7-8 (-10) cm in diameter, white, dingy white-yellow or grey purple, sometimes golden yellow; haft longer than blade
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13a Iris spuria subsp. halophila
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Flowers up to 15 cm in diameter; bright deep blue or violet blue with median yellow stripe; haft equal to or longer than blade.
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13c Iris spuria subsp. notha
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16 (12)
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Hypanthial tube 4-15 cm long. Seeds wrinkled.
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(17)
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Hypanthial tube only 2-3 mm long, so that falls and standards appear almost free. Seeds shiny, smooth, not wrinkled (Series Ensatae).
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14 Iris lactea
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17 (16)
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Peduncle (flowering stem) well developed at flowering time. Hypanthial tube 4-6 (-12) cm long.
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15 Iris songarica
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Peduncle (flowering stem) obsolescent at flowering time. Hypanthial tube 10-15 cm long.
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16 Iris loczyi
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