Iridaceae

Iridaceae
Temporal range: 60–0 Ma Middle Paleocene - Recent
Crocus vernus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Juss.[1]
Subfamilies and tribes

Iridaceae (/ɪrɪˈdeɪsiˌaɪ, -siːˌiː/) is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises. It has a nearly global distribution, with 69 accepted genera with a total of c. 2500 species.[2][3][4] It includes a number of economically important cultivated plants, such as species of Freesia, Gladiolus, and Crocus, as well as the crop saffron.

Members of this family are perennial plants, with a bulb, corm or rhizome. The plants grow erect, and have leaves that are generally grass-like, with a sharp central fold. Some examples of members of this family are the blue flag and yellow flag.

  1. ^ Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009). "An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III" (PDF). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society. 161 (2): 105–121. doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x. hdl:10654/18083. Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
  2. ^ Christenhusz, M. J. M.; Byng, J. W. (2016). "The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase". Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1. Archived from the original on 2016-07-29. Retrieved 2024-07-06.
  3. ^ "Iridaceae | COL". www.catalogueoflife.org. Archived from the original on 2023-07-16. Retrieved 2023-06-29.
  4. ^ Wilkin, Paul; Kubitzki, K.; Huber, H.; Rudall, P. J.; Stevens, P. S.; Stutzel, T. (1999). "The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. Volume III. Flowering Plants Monocotyledons Lilianae (Except Orchidaceae)". Kew Bulletin. 54 (4): 1013. doi:10.2307/4111190. ISSN 0075-5974. JSTOR 4111190. Archived from the original on 2024-07-06. Retrieved 2024-07-06.