Wild Iris
by Robert Bales
Title
Wild Iris
Artist
Robert Bales
Medium
Photograph - Photo
Description
A yellow Iris along a river bank.
Iris is a genus of 260 300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also very widely used as a common name for all Iris species, though some plants called thus belong to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.
The genera Belamcanda (blackberry lily), Hermodactylus (snake's head iris), Neomarica (walking iris) and Pardanthopsis are sometimes included in Iris.
The inflorescences are fan-shaped and contain one or more symmetrical six-lobed flowers. These grow on a pedicel or lack a footstalk. The three sepals, which are spreading or droop downwards, are referred to as "falls". They expand from their narrow base, which in some of the rhizomatous irises has a "beard" (a tuft of short upright extensions growing in its midline), into a broader expanded portion ("limb"), often adorned with veining, lines or dots. The three, sometimes reduced, petals stand upright, partly behind the sepal bases. They are called "standards". Some smaller iris species have all six lobes pointing straight outwards, but generally limb and standards differ markedly in appearance. They are united at their base into a floral tube that lies above the ovary (known as an epigynous or inferior ovary). The styles divide towards the apex into petaloid branches; this is significant in pollination.
Uploaded
March 28th, 2012
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Comments (10)
Nieves Nitta
Beautiful and so well captured with such detail! Hard to believe they grow wild. Congratulations Robert.
Robert Bales replied:
Thanks Nieves for the wonderful comments!! I did dig a few up and put in our yard!!
Linda Phelps
F/L Delightful image of this delicate golden iris. The details are terrific. I like the contrast of the strong yellow with the blue!.