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fringed iris, butterfly flower;
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China North-Central, China South-Central, China Southeast, Hainan, Japan, Myanmar, Qinghai, Tibet; Introduced into: Assam, East Himalaya, Italy, Réunion, Vietnam, West Himalaya as per POWO;
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The plant is a rhizomatous perennial with sword-shaped leaves up to 60 cm long, up to cm wide, without midvein; flowers pale blue to white, 4-6 cm across, with fringed falls spotted with purple and orange crusts, up to 1.5 cm long spathe, up to 2.5 cm long pedicel and perianth tube shorter than 1.5 cm, flowers are arranged on much branched stems.
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Iris japonica Thunb. from Herbal Garden, Kashmir:
Iris japonica Thunb, Trans. Linn. Soc. London, Bot. 2: 327. 1794.
Syn: Iris chinensis Curtis (non Bunge); Evansia chinensis (Curtis) Salisb.; Iris. fimbriata Ventenat.
Common name: Buuterfly-flower
Perennial rhizomatous herb; stems up to 80 cm tall, branched; leaves sword-shaped, up to 50 cm long, glossy green on upper surface, paler beneath, midvein absent; flowering stems with 5-12 short branches; spathes 2-4 flowered; flowers 5-7 cm across; perianth tube 12-16 mm long; falls obovate or elliptic, lavender to nearly white with yellow-orange spots in center with blue blotches around the center, margin denticulate, undulate; standards spreading, oblong, 3-3.5 cm long, clawed, mauve or whitish, denticulate, undulate; style branches pale blue, fimbriate at tip; capsule ellipsoid, 3 cm long.
Photographed from Herbal Garden above Botanical Garden in Kashmir.


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Fringed Iris??? (28/07/2012-NSJ-01):
Fringed Iris – Whether this is also Iris japonica.
Photo taken at Gangtok, Apr-09


I hope Iris japonica, I had uploaded a few days back.


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Flora picture of the Year- 2012- Gurcharan Singh:
Presenting my flora picture of the Year 2012, Iris japonica, the fringed iris or butterfly flower.

I had known about several species of Iris being grown in Kashmir to decorate graveyards and as ornamentals, and a few forming enormous meadows both in the valley (Iris lactea, which for a long time was identified as I.ensata) and alpine hills (I. hookeriana). These species were mostly possesed by me in the form of dried speciments. I missed photograhing these in previous years as they are early flowering plants, and I would miss their flowering. This year I planned an early visit to Kashmir to catch these and other similar flowers. Luckily I was able to catch almost all, but my prized click was this species which I found in gardens for the first time in Kashmir.
Despite its scientific name, the plant is neither a native of Japan (rather being a native of China), nor bearing the common name Japanese iris (which belongs to Iris ensata).
The plant is a rhizomatous perennial with sword-shaped leaves up to 60 cm long, up to cm wide, without midvein; flowers pale blue to white, 4-6 cm across, with fringed falls spotted with purple and orange crusts, up to 1.5 cm long spathe, up to 2.5 cm long pedicel and perianth tube shorter than 1.5 cm, flowers are arranged on much branched stems.
Photographed from Botanical Garden below Cheshma Shahi in Kashmir.
The species has been widely cultivated in different parts of the world and has been given ‘Award of Garden Merit’ by Royal Horticultural Society.

Superb photograph and interesting write up.


Thanks for including one of the most beautiful Iris species as your picture of 2012.
I have added this to Flora Picture2012


Very fine picture! This Iris has developed beautiful nectar guides. Thank you sir for showing this to us.



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Identify please : 5 posts by 4 authors. Attachments (1)
Khecheopalri Lake, Sikkim
July 2, 2016


I think some Iris species.
Pl. send pictures of the leaves also.

Thanks … Closely resembles to Iris japonica


Please check for Iris japonica Thunb.


Pretty flower, well captured;
The place must be full of leeches in July- suffered my first leech bites here.
Agree with id – good habitat match.



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Iris japonica Thunb. : 4 posts by 3 authors. Attachments (2) – around 600 kb each.

Location Godawari Botanical Garden, Nepal
Elevation :  5000 ft.
Date : 15 January 2014
Habit : Cultivated

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Iris japonica Thunb.: 3 very high res. images.

Location: Kew, London, UK
Altitude: 19 m.
Date: 04 April 2022
Habit : Cultivated / Labeled


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