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Smith, R.W.

Iris lacustris

Iris lacustris Nutt.

Dwarf Lake Iris

Iridaceae (Iris Family)

Synonym(s): Iris cristata ssp. lacustris, Iris cristata var. lacustris

USDA Symbol: IRLA

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)

A member of the iris family (family Iridaceae) which consists of herbs growing from rhizomes, bulbs, or corms, with narrow basal leaves and showy clusters at the tips of long stalks. There are about 60 genera and 1,500 species, distributed in temperate and tropical regions. Among them, Iris, Freesia, Gladiolus, Bugle Lily, and Montbretia are popular ornamentals. Saffron dye is obtained from Crocus, and "essence of violets," used in perfumes, is extracted from the rhizomes of Iris.

From the Image Gallery

6 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 6 inches tall.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White , Yellow , Blue , Purple , Violet
Bloom Time: May

Distribution

USA: MI , WI
Canada: ON

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Threatened & Endangered Status

USFWS Species Profile: Q2BS
Status: Threatened
Historic Range: U.S.A. (MI, WI), Canada (Ont.)
Critical Habitat: N/A
Special Rules: N/A
This information is derived from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Serrvice Environmental Conservation Online System.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:								FAC	FAC

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Bibliography

Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 3 - Flora of North America (2014) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 12 - Great Lakes Ecological Assessment: Threatened, Endangered, or Sensitive Species (2012) USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

Additional resources

USDA: Find Iris lacustris in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Iris lacustris in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Iris lacustris

Metadata

Record Modified: 2018-03-08
Research By: TWC Staff

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