Iris virginica L.

Locations ofIris virginica L. in Virginia

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Detail

Family
Iridaceae
Botanical Name
Iris virginica L.
Common Name
Virginia Blue Flag, Southern Blue Flag
Synonym(s)
Flora of Virginia Name/Status
Iris virginica L.
Comments
The status of Iris shrevei (often treated as I. virginica var. shrevei) in Virginia is uncertain. The name has never been applied in previous floristic studies and there are no Virginia specimens on SERNEC. It has a more northern and western distribution than the southeastern Iris virginica and may represent the somewhat isolated populations in the Shenandoah Valley that have been called I. virginica; on the other hand, most of these populations occur in habitats with other Coastal-Mountain disjuncts and may actually represent I. virginica. Further field and herbarium study is warranted to determine whether the shrevei taxon is present in the state and, if so, whether it should be mapped as a species or a variety.
Habitat
Freshwater and oligohaline tidal marshes, tidal swamps, maritime swamps, alluvial swamps, wet flatwoods, floodplain pools, calcareous fens and wet meadows, stream margins, and disturbed wetlands such as ditches and beaver ponds. Frequent to locally common in the Coastal Plain; infrequent to rare inland.
Native Status
Native

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