Appearance
''Iris planifolia'' has a large brown ovoid bulb in diameter), with fleshy cylindrical white roots.The shiny green leaves that grow up to 10–30 cm long and 1–3 cm wide can conceal the short stem at flowering time. The leaves are lanceolate, beginning narrow at soil level and growing up to a point. It is regarded as having one of the largest flowers in the subgenus ''Scorpiris''.
It can begin to flower in December, in January or February. In the wild it has been known to flower as late as Autumn. The flowers have a light scent, which can be described as spicy.
It is a short, stout plant with up to three large flowers per stem, which are generally 6–7 cm in diameter, with a perianth tube of 8–18 cm long. The falls are 5–8 cm long and the standards are 2 cm long. The plant can reach a maximum height of 10–15 cm tall.
The plant has flowers in various shades of blue, from bluish violet, bright sky blue, and lilac blue, Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals , known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals , known as the 'standards'. The falls have a dark blue veining and a yellow crest on the ridge. It does not have a beard. Occasionally, white flowered forms can be found in the wild.
The plant has tiny football shaped pollen with small spikes.
The capsule is oblong, sessile, like that of ''Colchicum'' on the surface of the soil in the centre of the leaves. It has brown seeds which can be as large as a pea.
Distribution
It is native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and North Africa. This the only species in the Juno subgenus that can be found growing in Europe.Habitat
It is native to the Mediterranean regions of Europe and North Africa. This the only species in the Juno subgenus that can be found growing in Europe.''Iris planifolia'' is found on rocky hillsides, which are generally wet in the winter and dry in the summer.References:
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