Diversity:  perennial herbs with, often, showy flowers - ca. 65 genera and 1,800 species including many ornamental domesticates:   (Iris, Crocus, Gladiolus) and also the spice saffron, which is extracted from the styles of Crocus sativus.

Distribution:  Worldwide with centers of diversity in the southern hemisphere.  The Texas flora includes 7 genera and 27 species.

Floral structure:

gynoecium, especially the styles, often petaloid or otherwise modified in interesting ways

Significant features:  Similar to the Liliaceae, i.e., erect or scapose perennial herbs with linear, 'monocot-like' leaves and various shoot features of the herbaceous perennial (bud, rhizome, corm, etc.).  Leaf arrangement in this family is often equitant (two-ranked and overlapping).  Flowers usually perfect, actinomorphic, and showy with petaloid calyx like the lilies but most Iridaceae show epigyny, 3 stamens, and a capsular fruit.

Iris pallida

flower with bracts	bracts removed	androperianth and petaloid styles

Herbertia lahue	Alophia drummondii	Sisyrinchium sp.

More information on the Iridaceae