Iris Terms / Iris Definitions / Iris Abbreviations

Iris Descriptive Terms:

Amoena — White standards, colored falls
Beard — Grouping of hairs at the top of the falls. Beards may be a variety of colors.
Bi-color — Light to medium standards, darker contrasting falls
Bi-tone — Two tones of the same color
Blend — Two or more colors blended together
Broken color:  Splashes of color not in a pattern
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 / Remontant / Re — Iris that blooms in any other season in addition to its normal spring bloom time; also called remontant
Reverse amoena:  Colored standards and often white but may be lighter color falls
Rim - Small edge of color around the falls or standards
Ruffles - Falls and/or standard edges that are curled, waved or fluted.
Self — An iris of one's own color (i.e. only yellow bloom, no mixture of color)
Signal - a collection of color under the beard
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
Texture- sheen or shine of the petals
Variegata — Yellow standards, reddish colored falls
All iris plants have 3 standards and 3 falls.