Iris Glossary
Abbreviations
E – Early blooming iris
F – Falls
M – Mid season bloomer
L – Late season bloomer
Plic – Plicata
RE – Rebloomer
S – Standards
SA – Space Ager
Iris Classifications
MDB – Miniature Dwarf Bearded: up to 8" in height, very early bloom season
SDB – Standard Dwarf Bearded: 8 – 16", early season
IB – Intermediate Bearded: 16 – 27 1/2", mid season
MTB – Miniature Tall Bearded: 16 – 27 1/2", mid – late season
BB – Border Bearded: 16 – 27 1/2", late bloom season
TB – Tall Bearded: over 27 1/2", late bloom season
Descriptive Terms
Amoena – White standards, colored falls
Beard –Line of fuzzy hairs at the top of the falls
Bicolor – Light to medium standards, darker contrasting falls
Bitone – Two tones of the same color
Blend – Two or more colors blended together
Falls – 3 lower petals of iris flower
Flounces – Appendages extending from the tip of the beard like little petals
Hafts – Top part of falls (area surrounding beard)
Horns – Spears extending from the tip of the beards
Luminata – Wash of color in falls with paler veining; clear unmarked area on hafts; usually paler edge to petals
Neglecta – Blue standards, darker colored falls
Plicata – Stippled or stitched margin color on lighter ground color
Rebloomer – Iris that blooms in any other season in addition to its normal spring bloom time; also called remontant
Self – An iris of one color
Space ager – Iris with flounces, horns or spoons
Spoons – Spooned appendages extending from beard
Standards – 3 upper petals of iris flower
Style arms – Small stiff segments above the beards
Variegata – Yellow standards, reddish colored falls