Iridaceae

Abstract

Iridaceae, its name based on the genus Iris, also known as iris family, in the order of Asparagales, is a family of monocotyledonous flowering plants, including 66 genera, consisting of approximately 2244 species, worldwide distributed, mainly in South Africa, the East Mediterranean, and Central or South America. Plants are usually perennial herbaceous. They are with rhizomes, bulbs, or corms. Leaves are alternate, distichous, equitant, and sheathed basically. Flowers are bisexual, actinomorphic or zygomorphic, solitary, or many-flowered arranged to spikes, monochasial, umbellate cymes, racemes, or panicles and subtended by spathes. Perianth segments are six, biseriate, and petaloid. Tubes are filiform or flaring. Stamens are two or three. Anthers are extrorse. Ovary is usually inferior and 3-loculed. Placentation axile. Styles are usually 3-fid and petaloid. Fruit is a loculicidal capsule. Seeds are arillate or not and winged. Only one species, Sisyrinchium rosulatum Bickn., is illustrated in this chapter.