Iris brevicaulis Raf.

Short Stem Iris; Zigzag Iris; Lamance Iris

Herb

Perennial

Vascular

Zigzag Iris is a native herbaceous perennial in the Iris family (Iridaceae). It can be found throughout Alabama but is especially common in the Black Belt region. It occurs in hardwood floodplain forests, along creeks and rivers, in low pastures, and in roadside ditches. It is a perennial from a freely branching rhizome. It often forms extensive colonies. The leaves are in fan-shaped clusters at the apex of the rhizomes. The leaves are ensiform (sword shaped), erect with drooping tips, dark green in color and slightly glaucous, glabrous, with entire margins. Flowering stems are erect to declining and sharply zigzag. There is a leaf and flower at each bend. The flowering stalks are shorter than the leaves, and the flowers are often at least partially hidden by the foliage. The flowering stalk has 1 flower at each bend and two terminal flowers. The flowers are subtended by a leaf-like bract. Each flower has 3 spreading sepals (falls) that are larger than the petals (standards). The sepals are blue in color with a yellow line along the midrib surrounded by a white parch. The petals are erect to semi-erect and solid blue in color. The fruit is a 6-angled capsule. Zigzag Iris is commonly available from native plant nurseries. Although a wetland plant in the wild, it adapts to average garden conditions. It prefers a loamy soil and partial sun to light shade.--A. Diamond

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Native OBL (NWPL)

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