Roadless Areas
Home/Species/ Dwarf Crested Iris

Iris cristata

Ait.

Dwarf Crested Iris

G5Secure Found in 80 roadless areas NatureServe Explorer →
G5SecureGlobal Rank
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). Photo by abelkinser, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
abelkinser, CC BY-NC 4.0
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). Photo by Kristin A. Bakkegard, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Kristin A. Bakkegard, CC BY-NC 4.0
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). Photo by Kristin A. Bakkegard, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Kristin A. Bakkegard, CC BY-NC 4.0
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). Photo by Chuck Cantley, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Chuck Cantley, CC BY-NC 4.0
Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). Photo by Billie, CC BY-NC 4.0, via iNaturalist.
Billie, CC BY-NC 4.0
Identity
Unique IDELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.149089
Element CodePMIRI09060
Record TypeSPECIES
ClassificationSpecies
Classification StatusStandard
Name CategoryVascular Plant
KingdomPlantae
PhylumAnthophyta
ClassMonocotyledoneae
OrderLiliales
FamilyIridaceae
GenusIris
Other Common Names
dwarf crested iris (EN)
Concept Reference
Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
Conservation Status
Review Date1984-06-06
Change Date1984-06-06
Range Extent Comments
AL, AR, GA, KY, MD, MS, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, VA, WV.
Ecology & Habitat

Diagnostic Characteristics

Flowering stems short (usually less than 15 cm) rhizomes superficial, sepals crested with a 3-ridged, toothed orange-white crest.

Habitat

Upland slopes and hillsides along streams in mixed deciduous forests.

Ecology

Prefers mesic sites on wooded slopes with rich acid soils high in organic content. Under cultivation this species does well in moist composted humus and gravel soils.

Reproduction

n=24, 32.
Terrestrial Habitats
Forest/WoodlandForest - Hardwood
Other Nations (1)
United StatesN5
ProvinceRankNative
KentuckyS4Yes
West VirginiaS5Yes
North CarolinaS5Yes
OklahomaS3Yes
GeorgiaS5Yes
South CarolinaS4Yes
TennesseeSNRYes
District of ColumbiaSHYes
VirginiaS5Yes
PennsylvaniaS1Yes
IllinoisS1Yes
MarylandS1Yes
MissouriSNRYes
OhioSNRYes
AlabamaSNRYes
MississippiSNRYes
MassachusettsSNRYes
IndianaSNRYes
ArkansasSNRYes
Plant Characteristics
DurationPERENNIAL
Economic Value (Genus)No
Roadless Areas (80)
Alabama (2)
AreaForestAcres
Blue MountainTalladega National Forest4,986
Oakey MountainTalladega National Forest6,129
Arkansas (12)
AreaForestAcres
Bear MountainOuachita National Forest1,910
Blue MountainOuachita National Forest9,755
Brush HeapOuachita National Forest4,205
Clifty CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,963
Devils CanyonOzark-St. Francis National Forest1,877
Dismal CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest9,160
East ForkOzark-St. Francis National Forest13,037
Gee CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest7,957
Little BlakelyOuachita National Forest3,342
Pedestal RocksOzark-St. Francis National Forest21,957
PenhookOzark-St. Francis National Forest6,566
Richland CreekOzark-St. Francis National Forest571
Georgia (16)
AreaForestAcres
Big MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,974
Boggs CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,073
Cedar MountainChattahoochee National Forest1,083
Helton CreekChattahoochee National Forest2,348
Indian Grave GapChattahoochee National Forest1,020
Joe GapChattahoochee National Forest5,321
Kelly RidgeChattahoochee National Forest8,325
Ken MountainChattahoochee National Forest527
Lance CreekChattahoochee National Forest9,025
Miller CreekChattahoochee National Forest701
Patterson GapChattahoochee National Forest1,186
Pink KnobChattahoochee National Forest12,127
Rocky MountainChattahoochee National Forest4,269
Sarah's CreekChattahoochee National Forest6,888
Tate BranchChattahoochee National Forest1,069
Turner CreekChattahoochee National Forest1,495
Kentucky (1)
AreaForestAcres
WolfpenDaniel Boone National Forest2,835
North Carolina (15)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainPisgah National Forest11,085
Balsam ConePisgah National Forest10,591
BearwallowPisgah National Forest4,113
Cheoah BaldNantahala National Forest7,795
Harper CreekPisgah National Forest7,325
Jarrett CreekPisgah National Forest7,485
Laurel MountainPisgah National Forest5,683
Linville Gorge AdditionPisgah National Forest2,809
Lost CovePisgah National Forest5,944
Mackey MountainPisgah National Forest5,934
South Mills RiverPisgah National Forest8,588
Wesser BaldNantahala National Forest4,061
Wilson CreekPisgah National Forest4,863
Woods MountainPisgah National Forest9,602
Yellowhammer Branch (add.)Nantahala National Forest1,255
Oklahoma (1)
AreaForestAcres
Beech CreekOuachita National Forest8,303
South Carolina (2)
AreaForestAcres
Bee CoveSumter National Forest3,025
Big MountainSumter National Forest2,337
Tennessee (15)
AreaForestAcres
Bald MountainCherokee National Forest11,743
Bald River Gorge AdditionCherokee National Forest1,728
Beaver Dam CreekCherokee National Forest5,070
Big Frog AdditionCherokee National Forest369
Big Laurel Branch AdditionCherokee National Forest5,577
Brushy RidgeCherokee National Forest7,469
Devil's BackboneCherokee National Forest4,287
Flint Mill GapCherokee National Forest9,494
Little Frog Addition NWCherokee National Forest628
London Bridge BranchCherokee National Forest3,387
Sampson Mountain AdditionCherokee National Forest3,064
Slide HollowCherokee National Forest4,057
Stone MountainCherokee National Forest5,367
Sycamore CreekCherokee National Forest6,984
Upper Bald RiverCherokee National Forest9,202
Virginia (13)
AreaForestAcres
Beaver Dam CreekJefferson National Forest1,135
Broad RunJefferson National Forest10,971
Brush MountainJefferson National Forest6,002
Hoop HoleJefferson National Forest4,652
Horse HeavenJefferson National Forest4,748
Mill MountainGeorge Washington National Forest10,840
Mt. PleasantGeorge Washington National Forest8,933
New London Bridge BranchJefferson National Forest844
North MountainJefferson National Forest8,377
Patterson MountainJefferson National Forest4,865
Price MountainJefferson National Forest9,119
Southern MassanuttenGeorge Washington National Forest11,985
Three SistersGeorge Washington National Forest8,149
West Virginia (3)
AreaForestAcres
Cranberry AdditionMonongahela National Forest11,123
Cranberry Glades Botanical AreaMonongahela National Forest785
Falls Of Hills CreekMonongahela National Forest6,925
References (8)
  1. Britton, N. L. and A. Brown. 1913. An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada. 3 vol. Dover Publications, Inc., N. Y. 2052 pp.
  2. Dykes, W.R. 1974. The genus <i>Iris</i>. Dover Publications Inc., New York, NY.
  3. Fernald, M.L. 1950 Gray's Manual of Botany, 8th ed. American Book Company, New York. 1632 pp.
  4. Flora of North America Editorial Committee (FNA). 2002a. Flora of North America north of Mexico. Vol. 26. Magnoliophyta: Liliidae: Liliales and Orchidales. Oxford Univ. Press, New York. xxvi + 723 pp.
  5. Gleason, H.A., and A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, New York. 910 pp.
  6. Kartesz, J.T. 1994. A synonymized checklist of the vascular flora of the United States, Canada, and Greenland. 2nd edition. 2 vols. Timber Press, Portland, OR.
  7. Radford, A.E., H.E. Ahles, and C.R. Bell. 1968. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. Univ. North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC. 1183 pp.
  8. Weishaupt, C.G. 1971. Vascular Plants of Ohio, Third edition. Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co., Dubuque, Iowa.