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Synonyms: Geosiridaceae Jonker, nom. cons.; Gladiolaceae Raf.; Hewardiaceae Nakai, nom. illeg.; Isophysidaceae (Hutch.) F. A. Barkley; Ixiaceae Horan.
Common name: Iris Family.
Number of genera 82. Number of species 1850.
Angiosperm. Liliopsida.
Disseminule a dehisced fruit, or a seed.
Fruits
Pistil(s) compound; 1; 1-pistillate; with carpels united. Fruit pericarpium; simple; capsule; loculicidal capsule (Sisyrinchium), or pyxidium capsule (Geosiris & listed in Geosiridaceae); capsule not inflated; capsule without operculum; without persistent central column, or with persistent central column (Pardanthus); not within accessory organ(s); few to many; few to many; 3-carpellate; with carpels united; with carpels remaining united at maturity; with carpels not radiating at maturity; without sterile carpels; not sulcate; in transection terete; apex not beaked; wall membranaceous, or leathery; dehiscent. Dehiscent and shedding seeds; without replum. Epicarp brown (all shades); dull; durable; glabrous (without hairs); without armature; without wing(s); without apical respiratory hole. Mesocarp absent. Endocarp present; not separating from exocarp; thin; not splitting into 1-seeded pyrenes; smooth; without wing (probably); without operculum; without secretory cavities; without mechanism for seedling escape; without grooves; without longitudinal ridges. Funiculus short; short without seed bearing hooks (retinacula); not persisting in fruit after seed shed.
Seeds
Aril Iris present, or absent (Iris); a true aril. Seed Geociris minute, or larger than minute; circular, or irregular, or triangular; in transection flattened, or compressed, or terete, or triangular; not bowl shaped; not nutlike; without winglike beak; without caudate appendage(s); at maturity with food reserves; with endosperm; without canavanine. Sarcotesta absent, or present; fleshy. Testa present; with fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer, or without fleshy or leathery layer over hard layer; loose, or tight; dull, or shiny; surface unsmooth, or smooth; surface with merged raised features; surface reticulate, or wrinkled, or colliculate, or striate, or ridged, or roughened, or rugose; without crease or line separating cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle; without notch along margin where cotyledons from hypocotyl-radicle tip approach each other; without glands; without bristles; glabrous, or pubescent (rarely); without glandular pubescence; without wings, or with wing(s); 1-winged; with wing encompassing seed; with wing(s) solid; with solid wing(s) similar to testa; without collar; without operculum; colored; monochrome; brown (all shades), or black; membranous, or thin, or coriaceous, or fleshy; not becoming mucilaginous when wetted; surrounding food reserve. Hilum punctate, or larger than punctate (Geosiris); circular (at least). Raphe conspicuous, or inconspicuous; texture as testa; included in dehisced fruit. Endosperm development nuclear; copious; fleshy, or cartilaginous, or hard (subhorny); semi- transparent; smooth; without starch, or with starch; with starch composed of solitary grains (assumed); with hemicellulose, or oils, or proteins; without fatty acid containing cyclopropene; without apical lobes; without chlorophyll; without isodiametric faceted surface; without odor.
Embryo differentiated from food reserve; well developed; 1 per seed; partially filling testa (with food reserve); chamber central to wings; 0.5 times the length of food reserve; at one end of seed not extending into a depression or cup; axile and centric; linear; straight, or C-shaped; parallel to seed length; with cotyledons gradually connected to hypocotyl-radicle; without coleoptile; without coleorhiza; without simmondsin; without stomata; not green; with 1 cotyledon. Cotyledons one and terminal with lateral plumule; not modified into scutellum; not circinately coiled. Hypocotyl-radicle well developed (assumed); straight; not thickened.
Distribution
Cosmopolitan. New World, Old World. North America, Middle America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia Major, Asia Minor, southeastern Asia, Australia, Oceania.
Notes
Cronquist: Geosiris aphylla of Madagascar and related Indian Ocean Islands: " Fruit a triangular-obconic capsule with an annulus at the truncate summit". Iridaceae in general: Fruit with an apical annulus.
Weed information
1 or more USA Federal noxious weeds, 1 or more USA state noxious weeds.
USA Federal noxious weeds: -- Homeria albida L. Bolus (=Moraea miniata Andrews): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria autumnalis Goldblatt (=Moraea autumnalis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria bicolor (Baker) Klatt (=Moraea flaccida (Sweet) Steud.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria bifida L. Bolus (=Moraea bifida (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria bolusiae Goldblatt (=Moraea louisabolusiae Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria brachygyne Schltr. (=Moraea brachygyne (Schltr.) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria britteniae L. Bolus (=Moraea britteniae (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria bulbillifera G. J. Lewis (=Moraea bulbillifera subsp. bulbillifera): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria bulbillifera subsp. anomala Goldblatt (=Moraea bulbillifera subsp. anomala (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria cedarmontana Goldblatt (=Moraea cedarmonticola Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria collina (Thunb.) Salisb. (=Moraea collina Thunb.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria comptonii L. Bolus (=Moraea comptonii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria cookii L. Bolus (=Moraea cookii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria elegans (Jacq.) Sweet (=Moraea elegans Jacq.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria fenestrata Goldblatt (=Moraea fenestrata (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria flaccida Sweet (=Moraea flaccida (Sweet) Steud.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria flavescens Goldblatt (=Moraea flavescens (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria framesii L. Bolus (=Moraea minor Eckl.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria fuscomontana Goldblatt (=Moraea fuscomontana (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria galpinii L. Bolus (=Moraea pyrophila Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria glauca (J. M. Wood & M. S. Evans) N. E. Br. (=Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria hantamensis Goldblatt & J. C. Manning (=Moraea reflexa Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria humilis N. E. Br. (=Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria lineata Sweet (=Moraea miniata Andrews): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria longistyla Goldblatt (=Moraea longistyla (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria lucasii L. Bolus (=Moraea ochroleuca (Salisb.) Drapiez): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria marlothii L. Bolus (=Moraea marlothii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria miniata (Andrews) Sweet (=Moraea miniata Andrews): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria minor (Eckl.) Goldblatt (=Moraea minor Eckl.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria mossii N. E. Br. (=Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria ochroleuca Salisb. (=Moraea ochroleuca (Salisb.) Drapiez): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria odorata L. Bolus (=Moraea fragrans Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria pallida Baker (=Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria papillosa L. Bolus (=Moraea brachygyne (Schltr.) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria patens Goldblatt (=Moraea patens (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria pendula Goldblatt (=Moraea pendula (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria pura N. E. Br. (=Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria radians (Goldblatt) Goldblatt (=Moraea radians (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria ramosissima Schltr. (=Moraea knersvlaktensis Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria rhopalocarpa Schltr. (=Moraea minor Eckl.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria salmonea L. Bolus (=Moraea bifida (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria schlechteri L. Bolus (=Moraea schlechteri (L. Bolus) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria serratostyla Goldblatt (=Moraea serratostyla (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria spp. (=Moraea sect. Homeria spp.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: MA●, NC●. -- Homeria spiralis L. Bolus (=Moraea aspera Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria tenuis Schltr. (=Moraea demissa Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria townsendiae N. E. Br. (=Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria tricolor G. J. Lewis (=Moraea karroica Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Homeria vallisbelli Goldblatt (=Moraea vallisbelli (Goldblatt) Goldblatt): USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea aspera Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea autumnalis (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea bifida (L. Bolus) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea brachygyne (Schltr.) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea britteniae (L. Bolus) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea bulbillifera (G. J. Lewis) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea cedarmonticola Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea collina Thunb.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea comptonii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea cookii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea demissa Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea elegans Jacq.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea fenestrata (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea flaccida (Sweet) Steud.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea flavescens (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea fragrans Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea fuscomontana (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea sect. Homeria spp.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea karroica Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea knersvlaktensis Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea longistyla (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea louisabolusiae Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea marlothii (L. Bolus) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea miniata Andrews: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea minor Eckl.: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea ochroleuca (Salisb.) Drapiez: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea pallida (Baker) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea patens (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea pendula (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea pyrophila Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea radians (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea reflexa Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea schlechteri (L. Bolus) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea serratostyla (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Moraea vallisbelli (Goldblatt) Goldblatt: USA Federal Noxious Weed●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
USA states and territories with listed noxious weeds: California (CA), Connecticut (CT), Massachusetts (MA), Montana (MT), New Hampshire (NH), North Carolina (NC), Oregon (OR), Puerto Rico (PR).
USA state and territory noxious weeds: -- Homeria spp. (=Moraea sect. Homeria spp.): USA Federal Noxious Weed●; USA state noxious weed: MA●, NC●.-- Iris douglasiana Herb.: USA state noxious weed: CA●. -- Iris missouriensis Nutt.: USA state noxious weed: CA●. -- Iris pseudacorus L.: USA state noxious weed: CTª, MAª, MTª, NHª, OKª. -- Iris virginica L.: USA state noxious weed: PRª●. -- Symbols: ªaquatic weed; ●terrestrial weed; °weed in seed. -- Last updated September 2008.
Listed seeds
ASOA listed seeds, ISTA listed seeds.
ASOA listed seeds: -- Crocus sativus L. -- Gladiolus L. spp. -- Iris douglasiana Herb. -- Iris ensata Thunb. -- Iris kaempferi Siebold ex Lem. = Iris ensata Thunb. -- Iris missouriensis Nutt. -- Iris setosa Pall. ex Link -- Romulea rosea (L.) Eckl. -- Sisyrinchium bellum S. Watson -- Sisyrinchium L. spp. -- Last updated September 2008.
ISTA listed seeds: -- Acidanthera bicolor Hochst. = Gladiolus murielae Kelway & Langport ex anon. -- Babiana stricta (Aiton) Ker Gawl. -- Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. = Iris domestica Goldblatt & Mabb.-- Crocus sativus L. -- Crocus speciosus M. Bieb. -- Crocus tommasinianus Herb. -- Freesia refracta (Jacq.) Klattf -- Gladiolus murielae Kelway & Langport ex anon. -- Homeria miniata (Andrews) Sweet = Moraea miniata Andrews-- Iris domestica Goldblatt & Mabb.-- Iris florentina L. -- Iris × germanica nothovar. florentina Dykes = Iris florentina L. -- Iris pallida Lam. -- Iris reticulata M. Bieb. -- Iris xiphium L. -- Moraea miniata Andrewsw -- Romulea rosea (L.) Eckl.w -- Watsonia bulbillifera J. W. Mathews & L. Bolus = Watsonia meriana (L.) Mill. -- Watsonia meriana (L.) Mill.w -- Symbols: aagricultural and vegetable seeds (Table 2A Part 1); ttree and shrub species (Table 2A Part 2); fflower, spice, herb, and medicinal seeds (Table 2A Part 3); wweed seeds. -- Last updated September 2008.
Accepted genera
Ainea Ravenna -- Alophia Herb. -- Aristea Aiton -- Babiana Ker Gawl. ex Sims, nom. cons. -- Belamcanda Adans., nom. cons. -- Bobartia L., nom. cons. -- Calydorea Herb. -- Cardenanthus R. C. Foster -- Chasmanthe N. E. Br. -- Cipura Aubl. -- Cobana Ravenna -- Crocosmia Planch. -- Crocus L. -- Cypella Herb. -- Devia Goldblatt & J. C. Manning -- Dierama K. Koch -- Dietes Salisb. ex Klatt, nom. cons. -- Diplarrhena Labill. -- Duthiastrum M. P. de Vos -- Eleutherine Herb., nom. cons. -- Ennealophus N. E. Br. -- Ferraria Burm. ex Mill. -- Fosteria Molseed -- Freesia Klatt, nom. cons. -- Geissorhiza Ker Gawl. -- Gelasine Herb. -- Geosiris Baill. -- Gladiolus L. -- Herbertia Sweet -- Hermodactylus Mill. -- Hesperantha Ker Gawl. -- Hesperoxiphion Baker -- Iris L. -- Isophysis T. Moore -- Ixia L., nom. cons. -- Kelissa Ravenna -- Klattia Baker -- Lapeirousia Pourr. -- Lethia Ravenna -- Libertia Spreng., nom. cons. -- Mastigostyla I. M. Johnst. -- Melasphaerula Ker Gawl. -- Micranthus (Pers.) Eckl., nom. cons. -- Moraea Mill., nom. cons. -- Nemastylis Nutt. -- Neomarica Sprague -- Nivenia Vent. -- Olsynium Raf. -- Onira Ravenna -- Orthrosanthus Sweet -- Pardanthopsis (Hance) L. W. Lenz -- Patersonia R. Br., nom. cons. -- Pillansia L. Bolus -- Pseudotrimezia R. C. Foster -- Radinosiphon N. E. Br. -- Romulea Maratti, nom. cons. -- Savannosiphon Goldblatt & Marais -- Schizostylis Backh. & Harv. -- Sessilanthera Molseed & Cruden -- Sisyrinchium L. -- Solenomelus Miers -- Sparaxis Ker Gawl. -- Sympa Ravenna -- Syringodea Hook. f., nom. cons. -- Tapeinia Comm. ex Juss. -- Thereianthus G. J. Lewis -- Tigridia Juss. -- Trimezia Salisb. ex Herb. -- Tritonia Ker Gawl. -- Tritoniopsis L. Bolus -- Watsonia Mill., nom. cons. -- Witsenia Thunb. -- Xenoscapa (Goldblatt) Goldblatt & J. C. Manning -- Zygotritonia Mildbr.
References specific to this family
Cronquist page 1211 (including 1236: Geosiridaceae). Manning, J.C. & P. Goldblatt. 1991. Systematic and phylogenetic significance of the seed coat in the shrubby African Iridaceae, Nivenia, Klattia, and Witsenia. Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 107:387–404.
General references
Cronquist, A. 1981. An integrated system of classification of flowering plants, 1,262 p. Columbia University Press, New York, Dahlgren, R.M.T., H.T. Clifford and P.F. Yeo. 1985. The families of the monocotyledons, 520 pp. Springer-Verlag, Berlin, Gaertner, J. 1788–1805. De fructibus et seminibus plantarum. The Author, Stuttgart, Goldberg, A. 1986 (dicots) and 1989 (monocots). Classification, evolution, and phylogeny of the familes of Dicotyledons. Smithsonian Contr. Bot. 58 for dicots (314 pp.) and 71 for monocots (74 pp.). [Goldberg's illustrations are reproduced from older publications and these should be consulted], Gunn, C.R. and J.V. Dennis. 1976. World guide to tropical drift seeds and fruits, 240 pp. The New York Times Book Co., New York, Gunn, C.R. and C.A. Ritchie. 1988. Identification of disseminules listed in the Federal Noxious Weed Act. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1719:1–313, Gunn, C.R., J.H. Wiersema, C.A. Ritchie, and J.H. Kirkbride, Jr. 1992 and amendments. Families and genera of Spermatophytes recognized by the Agricultural Research Service. Techn. Bull. U.S.D.A. 1796:1–500, LeMaout, E. and J. Decaisne. 1876. A general system of botany, 1,065 p. Longmans, Green, and Co., London, Martin, A.C. 1946. The comparative internal morphology of seeds. Amer. Midl. Naturalist 36:513–660, Spjut, R.W. 1994. A systematic treatment of fruit types. Mem. New York Bot. Gard. 70:1–182, Wood, C.E., Jr. 1974. A student's atlas of flowering plants: Some dicotyledons of eastern North America, 120 pp. Harper and Row, New York.
Illustrations
Poor fruit and seed illustrations. Disseminule illustration(s): fruit, or seed, or embryo. Fruit illustration(s): Cronquist, Gaertner, LeMaout & Decasine. Seed illustration(s): Gunn & Ritchie. Embryo illustration(s): Gunn & Ritchie, LeMaout & Decaisne.
• Seed. 1 of 21. Aristea ecklonii Baker: seeds. • Fruit. 2 of 21. Bobartia gladiata Ker Gawl.: fruit. • Seed. 3 of 21. Bobartia gladiata Ker Gawl.: seeds. • Fruit. 4 of 21. Cypella herrerae Diels: dehisced fruiting head. • Seed. 5 of 21. Cypella herrerae Diels: seeds. • Fruit. 6 of 21. Iris ensata Thunb.: dehisced fruit. • Seed. 7 of 21. Iris ensata Thunb.: seeds. • Seed. 8 of 21. Isophysis tasmanica (Hook.) T. Moore: seeds. • Seed. 9 of 21. Isophysis tasmanica (Hook.) T. Moore: seeds. • Fruit. 10 of 21. Moraea collina Thunb.: dehisced fruit. • Seed. 11 of 21. Moraea collina Thunb.: seeds. • Seed. 12 of 21. Romulea rosea (L.) Eckl.: seeds. • Seed. 13 of 21. Sparaxis parviflora (G. J. Lewis) Goldblatt: seeds. • Fruit. 14 of 21. Trimezia martinicensis (Jacq.) Herb.: dehisced fruit. • Seed. 15 of 21. Trimezia martinicensis (Jacq.) Herb.: seeds. • Fruit. 16 of 21. Watsonia spp.: dehisced fruits with seeds. • Seed. 17 of 21. Watsonia spp.: seeds. • Embryo. 18 of 21. Gladiolus communis L. subsp. byzantinus (Mill.) A. P. Ham.: embryo. • Embryo. 19 of 21. Moraea miniata Andrews: embryo. • Embryo. 20 of 21. Iris foetidissima L.: embryo. • Embryo. 21 of 21. Romulea rosea (L.) Eckl.: embryo.
We advise against extracting comparative information from the descriptions. This is much more easily achieved using the DELTA data files or the interactive key, which allows access to the character list, illustrations, full and partial descriptions, diagnostic descriptions, differences and similarities between taxa, lists of taxa exhibiting or lacking specified attributes, and distributions of character states within any set of taxa. See also Guidelines for using data taken from Web publications.
Cite this publication as: ‘J.H. Kirkbride, Jr., C.R. Gunn, and M.J. Dallwitz. 2000 onwards. Family guide for fruits and seeds: descriptions, illustrations, identification, and information retrieval. Version: 12th April 2021. delta-intkey.com’.
