Iris Spathulata section

The most frequently encoutered member of this section is Iris foetidissima - a name that obviously wasn't dreamed up by someone wanting to sell plants. In fact you will never notice the mildly unpleasant scent unless you crush the leaves in your fingers. You may notice the flowers, which are large, but often a rather dull shade of purple, although they can be pale lemon yellow. But when the capsules open, the rows of brilliantly coloured seeds, bright orange in the most usually seen varieties, positively shout at you. They become visible early in autumn, and remain for a remarkably long time - quite the most persistent display of colour from any Iris.