
Iris Terms & Definitions
Amoena – white or near white standards with colored falls
Beard – fuzzy Hairs at top of falls
Branch – lateral extension from main bloom stalk that produces additional flowers
Bicolor – light or medium standards over deeper contrasting falls
Bitone – Standards and falls are two tones of the same color
Blend – Combination of two or more colors, blended or layered on the same petal
Bloom season – the time of the iris variety will bloom within each classification; a late season Standard dwarf bearded may bloom the same time as an early blooming tall beaded iris. An iris listed E-L will bloom over an extended period indicating a high stalk and/or bud count.
VE – very early, E – early, M – midseason, L – late, VL – very late
Broken Color – random splashes of color
Falls – the lower three flower petals
Fan – the leaf form of iris looks like a fan
Flare – falls with an outward horizontal curve
Flounce – appendage extending from end of beard
Form – the overall shape of the blossom
Haft – top part of fall petals on either side of beards
Increase – new fans forming at the base of the mother rhizome
Horns – points rising from the end of beards
Lace – edges of petals are serrated
Luminata – style arms and hafts are white or yellow with pale veining on falls
Midrib – the center thicker rib of the standards keeping them upright
Neglecta – blue or violet bitone
Plicata – stitched or stippled petal bands usually on white or yellow ground
Reverse Amoena – Colored standards over lighter, sometimes white, falls
Rhizome – thick fleshy bulb-like iris root from which the fan emirates
Rim – Thin edge of color around petals
Ruffles – petal edges are fluted or waved
Self – An iris of all one color
Signal – pointed dart of color in center of fall
Spath – leaf like covering over the bud or base of flower that covers the ovary
Spoons – appendages at end of beards that look like spoons
Spot – round color blot in center of fall
Stalk – the stem of the iris blossom
Stamen – small match-like protrusion just beneath style arm; the flower’s male reproductive part producing powdery pollen
Stigma – lip like growth near the end of the style arm; the flowers female reproductive part.
Standards – the upper three flower petals
Style Arms – small stiff segments in the heart of the blossom shielding the base of the standards and just above the center of the falls that hold the flowers reproductive organs
Substance – the thickness of the petals
Sunburst – ray pattern on falls emanating from beard or center of fall
Texture – surface sheen of petals; velvety, satin, smooth, diamond dusted(glistening)
Variegata – Yellow or near yellow standards over deeper falls on varied or solid tones of brown or purple
Zonal – irregular shaped color patch at the center of falls