Iris hexagona var. hexagona

Botanical Name: Iris hexagona var. hexagona (added by Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Botanical Synonyms:
Iris hexagona (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Classification:
Hexagonae (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Common Names:
Dixie Iris, Carolina Iris (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Chromosome Count:
2n=44 (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
General Description:
Flowers blue-purple with a narrow yellow signal, standards and falls flaring. Stalks to 1 m (3 ft) tall. (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Distinguishing Features:
Seed pod obviously hexagonal in cross-section. Flowering nearly a month later than savannarum. Leaves are yellow-green and do not die back after flowering. Falls more rounded than those of savannarum. (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Preferred Habitat:
Wetland edges and roadside ditches. (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Hardiness:
Native in Zones 8 and 9. Hardy to at least Zone 5b. (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Native Range:
South Carolina, Georgia, northern Florida. (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Status in the Wild:
Rare. Nearly extirpated from South Carolina. (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Commercial Availability:
N/A
Sources Cited:
Flora of North America at efloras.org; BONAP range maps (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)
Additional Comments:
This is the type species of the Hexagonae, described from South Carolina where it is the only member of the series. Generally not seperated from the common and widespread var. savannarum (or Iris savannarum). (Sean Zera, 29-DEC-14)