Lvs shallowly set, linear or broader, iris-like, mostly 40-70 cm נ10-25 mm, deep lustrous green, flat or slightly twisted, anthocyanic at the somewhat dilated, soft, thin, keeled base; scapes 6-8 dm, smooth, straight or slightly twisted, terete and 2-ridged below, conspicuously broadened and flattened above; spikes 2-3.5 cm at maturity, broadly ellipsoid or oblong, blunt; lateral sep shortly included, almost straight, with a broad, lacerate keel; pet-blades cuneate, 3 mm, unfolding in the morning; seeds 0.8-1 mm, farinose; 2n=18. Wet, low places, especially in heavy soil, the base commonly submersed; coastal plain from Va. to Fla. and Tex.

Gleason, Henry A. & Cronquist, Arthur J. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. lxxv + 910 pp.

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