Scientific name: Iris pseudacorus L.
Common name: Yellow flag, Yellow Iris
Description
Habit: Rhizomatous; stems to 1.5m, usually branched, slightly compressed, bearing several leaves.
Leaves: Subterete or 4-angled, rather glaucous, with conspicuous midrib, 10-30mm wide, rather pale green, odourless; basal leaves 50-90cm x 10-30mm.
Flowers: In short, terminal and axillary cymes; actinomorphic; tepals united proximally into perianth-tube; outer tepals usually longer and wider than the inner, patent, recurved or reflexed, with a narrow proximal part (claw) and an expanded distal part (blade); inner tepals usually erect, less differentiated into blade and claw; filaments free, borne at base of outer tepals; style with 3 long, broad, petaloid branches each with 2 lobes at apex beyond stigma, each covering a stamen; flowers 4-12, erect, 8-10cm across, bright yellow.
Fruits: Capsule 4-8cm, cylindrical, with a short beak; seeds dull brown, smooth.
Habitat: Ditches, marshes and wet fields.
Distribution: Abundant.
Native status: Native
Of conservation interest: No