Long-Scape Iris

Description

Iris delavayi is a species in the genus Iris, also the subgenus of Limniris and in the Iris series Sibiricae. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from various provinces in China. It has grey-green leaves, long hollow stem, and 2 flowers in various blue shades. From dark violet, dark purple, purple-blue, dark blue to light purple. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.Iris delavayi is larger and more vigorous in growth than Iris sibirica.It has stout, creeping rhizomes (about 1 cm in diameter), that create clumps or tufts of plants It eventually forms clumps that are about 45-60 cm (18-24 in) wide.The rhizomes have fibers (the remains of leaves from last season).It has 3-4 (per stem) grey-green leaves, that are sword-shaped or linear (in form), measuring 50-90 cm (20-35 in) long and 0.6-1.5 cm wide.The leaves are shorter than the flowering stems.It has a hollow, 1-3 branched flowering stem that grows up to between 60-150 cm (24-59 in) long and 5-7mm wide. The short branches are close to the tops of the stems.The stem has 2-3 green, with a slight reddish purple tinge, lanceolate (sword-like), spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which measure 7-11 cm long and 1.8-2 cm wide.They also have a papery brown tip. The spathes surround 2 flowers (per stem branch), borne in early summer,between May and August (or June or July in the UK)