Iris Family [Iridaceae] |
status
flower
morph
petals
3+3+'3'stem
toxicity
30th May 2007, Lancaster Canal, Galgate, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
Always grows in shallow water such as canal sides and on slow-flowing freshwater streams, or on marshes. |
1st June 2014, Blackleach resr, Walkden, Gtr M/cr | Photo: © RWD |
Grows 0.8 to 1.5m tall, these specimens at the taller end of the range. |
30th May 2009, old dune slacks, Southport, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Leaves very long and linear, similar to those of Montbretia, Great Reedmace and Branched Bur-Reed here growing in damp ground where water collects over winter. |
30th May 2009, old dune slacks, Southport, Sefton Coast. | Photo: © RWD |
Short wide leaves sheath of the stem at intervals, especially where the stem branches. |
1st June 2014, MB&BC canal, Ringley, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
New flower-buds yet to open are spiked a little like Yellow-wort (Blackstonia perfoliata) but much taller. |
1st June 2014, MB&BC canal, Ringley, Gtr M/cr. | Photo: © RWD |
The six petals are tightly wrapped up, the three outer are tepals, the as-yet unseen three inner are petals. |
30th May 2007, Lancaster Canal, Galgate, | Photo: © RWD |
The tepals are larger than the petals and droop downwards. |
30th May 2007, Lancaster Canal, Galgate, | Photo: © RWD |
Showing the outer tepals which hang down and the inner petals. |
2nd May 2007, Leeds & Liverpool Canal, Aintree. | Photo: © RWD |
The outer tepals have reddish lines marked upon the upper surface whereas the shorter petals have reddish striations on the underside only. |
8th June 2005, River Chee, Chee Dale, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
The outer petals are heavily veined in red. |
Sometimes the outer petals lack reddish streaks. | Photo: © RWD |
Photo: © RWD |
Plan view of flower. |
6th Sept 2005, Leeds &Liverpool Canal, Tarleton. | Photo: © RWD |
Large 3-sided green seed pods replace the flowers. They contain many brown seeds which float on water to germinate in the vicinity. |
6th Sept 2005, Leeds &Liverpool Canal, Tarleton. | Photo: © RWD |
12th Nov 2013, Macclesfield Canal, Marple. | Photo: © RWD |
The seeds within the pods. |
12th Nov 2013, Macclesfield Canal, Marple. | Photo: © RWD |
When fully ripe the three pod sides splay wide open like an out-stretched palm. |
20th Oct 2016, Macclesfield Canal, Macclesfield. | Photo: © RWD |
Split open manually so that your Author could better photograph the seeds, which then mostly proceeded to fell out. |
20th Oct 2016, Macclesfield Canal, Macclesfield. | Photo: © RWD |
Opening another pod. The seeds are milk chocolate-brown and vary in shape, but most have at least two flat sides in order to pack in side by side, in two rows. |
20th Oct 2016, Macclesfield Canal, Macclesfield. | Photo: © RWD |
The seeds in close-up. They are quite unlike those of the otherwise similar (but with a pale mauve coloured flower) Stinking Iris which has bright-red roughly spherical seeds in the pod which look like berries. |
Photo: © RWD |
The long stiff, broad sword-shaped leaves have parallel veins and are finely ridged. |
Some similarities to : Uniquely identifiable characteristics: There is no other plant quite like this. Distinguishing Feature : The large yellow petals in triplets at 120 degrees. Always grows in water. Like many aquatic plants, this too has petals in three's.
Yellow Iris spreads underwater by thick rhizomes in anoxic conditions, and is able to withstand quite acidic conditions (low pH - below 7). It is a Metallophyte and selectively absorbs heavy metals and has been used to help clean up heavy metal pollution, provided that pollution occurs in water - for Yellow Iris needs wet conditions and will not grow on dry land. The rhizomes were once used to produce both a black dye and an ink. Yellow Flag is a perennial with stout stems and an under-ground horizontal tuber. It is poisonous.
|
Iris | pseudacorus | ⇐ Global Aspect ⇒ | Iridaceae |
Iris (Irises) |
Iris Family [Iridaceae] |