Tennessee State Flower
Iris (common name) Iris germanica (scientific name) Overview There are many varieties of iris, and the Tennessee state government did not specify any particular type when it designated it the state flower in 1933. However, it is usually depicted as a purple iris. Irises are monocots, and the flowers grow from bulbs or rhizomes that produce long, narrow, pointed leaves that often grow straight up, bending when they become to heavy to stand. Stems are usually straight, forming one to six buds. The flowers have three outer petals that curve down and these may have a "beard" of different-colored hairs or a ridge that sometimes has a patch of another color in the center. The flowers also have three upright central petals, which often enclose the stamen and pistil, though the petals are open on some types of irises. Irises are common in many areas of the U.S. Different types may grow best in cold, on mountains, on grassy hills, in meadows, or on riverbanks. Close-up STATUS Official PHYSICAL DETAILS Duration: Perennial Plant: Lancelike leaves with individual or multiple flowers on a long, fleshy stem Mature Height: 3 ft (1 m) Flowering: May through June Flowers: 1–2 in (2.5–5 cm) wide, 3–4 in (7.5–10 in) high; three central upright petals and three outer, downward-curving petals Flower Color: Purple, although may also be yellow or white Leaves: Long, pointed, mid-green, growing straight up from the ground Fruit/Seed Color: Light brown HABITAT Location: Any sunny or partly sunny area in well-drained soil Range: California to Oregon, Utah, Kansas, from Florida north and west to Minnesota into Canada, excluding Arkansas, Alabama, and West Virginia. TRIVIA Few state flowers have been chosen with so much controversy. The passionflower was designated the Tennessee state flower in 1919. In the 1930s, however, irises became popular with local gardening clubs. The iris lobby grew strong, until a new law declaring the iris the state flower was passed in 1933. However, the old law had not been rescinded. Both confusion and discontent ensued. Many citizens found irises too generic to represent the state. The issue wasn’t fully clarified until 1973, when the passionflower was designated the state wildflower and the iris the state cultivated flower.
	Click to enlarge an image Iris Iris Plants Close-up of Iris <<tr class="odd"> CLASSIFICATION Kingdom: Plantae Subkingdom: Tracheobionta Superdivision: Spermatophyta Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Liliopsida Subclass: Liliidae Order: Liliales Family: Iridaceae Subfamily: Iridoideae Tribe: Irideae Genus: Iris Species: I. germanica
	Author: World Trade Press