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Iridaceae


Plants in this family are perennial herbs with underground storage organs of rhizomes, bulbs, or corms. They have adventitious roots and sword-shaped leaves that overlap each other transversely at the base. The latter feature is unique to this family. Other features include:

  • 3 stamens, and a single pistil
  • inferior ovary, of 3 fused carpels
  • Iris fruit is a loculicidal capsule with seeds.
  • 3 sepals, and 3 petals

Examples include Crocus, Fressia, Gladiolus, Iris, Ixia.

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George Guy, Joshua Linhart, Andrea Mangette, Sarah Perdion, Jodi Soltis

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