Plants densely tufted, with small growing point. Roots swollen, fusiform, tuberous. Leaves linear, 10-35 cm long, 2-8 mm wide, veins 2 or 3, base surrounded by brown fibers. Flowering stems sometimes shortly 1-branched, 10-25 cm long, 2-3 mm wide; spathes 3, green, lanceolate, 4.5-9.5 cm, 2-flowered. Flowers violet or pale blue, 2.5-6 cm in diameter. Perianth tube 2.5-3 cm; outer segments spreading, obovate, 2.5-4 cm long, 0.8-1.8 cm wide, crest central, yellow, low, undulate; inner segments erect, narrowly elliptic, 2.5-4 cm long, 0.5-1.2 cm wide. Stamens 1.5-2.5 cm; anthers yellowish white. Style branches 2-3.5 cm. Capsule ellipsoid to ovoid, 2-3.5 cm long, ca. 1 cm wide, apex shortly pointed.

Iris decora is close relative of Iris collettii, but differs from the latter in its flowering stems sometimes branched (vs. always simple), more than 10 cm (vs. very short to 8 cm. or not emerging from ground), perianth tube 2.5-3 cm (vs. 3-5 cm).
Flowering in June; fruiting from July to August.
Iris decora is occurring in Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan of China, Bhutan, N India, Nepal.
Growing in grassy hillsides on plateaus, open stony pastures, cliffs; 2800-3100 m.
(From Plants of Tibet) 
Rights holder(s): Wen, Jun


 /wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Iris%20sp.jpg
Here is the Himalayan Iris.
Iris nepalensis D.Don Prodr. Fl. Nepal.: 54 (1825); non Wall. ex Lindl. (1824) 
Family: Iridaceae
Habitat: It is found in the temperate Himalaya and Khasi hills
Pollination: This member shows an interesting floral morphology for pollination. The Iris flower is formed in such a way that when a bee enters it to get the nectar, the insect will come in contact with the pollen only after passing the stigma. When the bee backs out of the flower, it will only touch the lower face of the Stigma, which is non- receptive. Thus the flower ensures that the bee doesn’t pollinate it with its own pollen. Each flower is pollinated by the pollen of another (cross pollinated).
Picture taken from Potin, Lower Subansiri dist., Arunachal Pradesh during April, 2006.


Nice photograph … The species is now correctly known as I. decora Wall. as I. nepalensis D. Don is nom. illeget.


Thanks Sir for the correction and appreciation.


 
  
 

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