Iris hartwegii subsp. pinetorum
Family: Iridaceae · Type: perennial · Native
Pine-dwelling iris is a native perennial found in southern Cascade Ranges and northern and central Sierra Nevada in open pine forest flats at elevations of 400 to 1,500 meters. Flowering in May, this plant produces pale cream-yellow flowers with bright yellow-veined sepals in an inflorescence with two blooms. Growing with very short stems zero to 7 centimeters tall emerging from a slender rhizome, it forms low, compact clusters. Its basal leaves are narrow, 3 to 5 millimeters wide, with a faintly pink base, while cauline leaves become bract-like. The flower's pale yellow perianth tube is funnel-shaped and 12 to 20 millimeters long.
Habitat: Uncommon. Flats in open pine forest
Bloom period: May
Elevation: 400-1500 m
Bioregions: s CaR, n&c SN.
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Jepson eFlora, Cal-IPC, and more.