Iris bracteata
Siskiyou iris
(c) David Anderson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Iridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Conservation status: CNPS 3.3
Iris bracteata (Siskiyou iris) is a native California herb in the Iridaceae family, recognized by distinctive yellow flowers with maroon veining.
Siskiyou iris is a native perennial found in the northern Klamath Ranges in Del Norte and northwestern Siskiyou counties, inhabiting partly shady yellow-pine forests at elevations of 350 to 1,100 meters. Flowering in May, this iris produces yellow flowers with deep maroon or brown veining, featuring large obovate sepals 4 to 8 centimeters long and 15 to 25 millimeters wide. Growing with unbranched stems 5 to 40 centimeters tall, it emerges from a thick rhizome 6 to 9 millimeters in diameter. Its basal leaves are glossy and 4 to 18 millimeters wide, accompanied by 1 to 6 bract-like cauline leaves that overlap along the stem. The flower's style branches extend 29 to 45 millimeters with distinctive triangular stigmas, and the perianth tube is funnel-shaped and 4 to 10 millimeters long.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 10 sympatric species; distinctive yellow flowers with maroon veining
Habitat and range
Habitat: Partly shady places, generally in yellow-pine forest
Elevation: 350-1100 m
California counties: Siskiyou, Del Norte, Trinity, Shasta
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Iris bracteata blooms May.
Conservation status
CNPS 3.3
How to tell it apart
vs Dietes: Iris has broad petal-like style branches; Dietes has thread-like styles and flowers lasting only one day.; vs Canna: Iris has six-parted flowers with drooping sepals; Canna has asymmetric flowers with one petal-like stamen.; vs Hemerocallis: Iris has petal-like style branches opposite stamens; Hemerocallis has simple thread-like styles and six equal tepals.; vs Typha: Iris has showy six-parted flowers; Typha has dense brown cylindrical flower spikes (cattails).; vs Sisyrinchium: Iris has large flowers with drooping outer sepals; Sisyrinchium has small flat flowers with six equal tepals.
Frequently asked questions
Is Iris bracteata native to California?
Yes. Iris bracteata is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Iris bracteata bloom?
Iris bracteata blooms May.
Where in California does Iris bracteata grow?
Iris bracteata occurs in Siskiyou, Del Norte, Trinity, Shasta, at elevations of 350-1100 m.
What plant family does Iris bracteata belong to?
Iris bracteata is in the Iridaceae family, genus Iris.
Is Iris bracteata rare or endangered?
Iris bracteata carries California Rare Plant Rank 3.3, state rank S3.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · CNPS Rare Plant Inventory · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos · CDFW CNDDB
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.