Family Code: IRIDAC Genus Code: IRIS Genus CN: iris Genus Authority: L. Genus Summary: A genus of about 225 species, herbs, of Eurasia, n. Africa, and North America. Wilson (2004) suggests that Belamcanda is phylogenetically nested within Iris and should be included there; Goldblatt & Mabberley (2005) make the appropriate nomenclatural combination. Alternatively, Iris may be broken up into multiple genera (Mavrodiev et al. 2014; Crespo, Martínez-Azorín, & Mavrodiev 2015). Genus Identification: Identification notes: the petals are usually erect, smaller than the petaloid sepals (which are brightly colored, generally reflexed, and marked with a "signal"). The styles are also petaloid, arched over the sepals, and 2-cleft at the tip (except in I. domestica). Genus References: Crespo, Martínez-Azorín, & Mavrodiev (2015); Henderson in FNA (2002a); Goldblatt in FNA (2002a); Mavrodiev et al. (2014); Goldblatt & Mabberley (2005)=Z; Wilson (2004); Goldblatt, Manning, & Rudall in Kubitzki (1998a). Key based on Henderson in FNA (2002a). Last Updated: 2019-11-29 Publish: 1