Iris tenuissima
Iris
(c) David Anderson, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Iridaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Iris tenuissima (Iris) is a native California herb in the Iridaceae family, recognized by Slender N-CA iris; long perianth tube (30-58 mm) narrow then abruptly widened at mid-throat; opposite enclosing bracts.
Iris is a California native perennial found in open grasslands and oak woodlands at elevations of 10 to 500 meters. Flowering from March to May, this plant produces delicate lavender to purple flowers with large, widely oblanceolate sepals 5 to 7 centimeters long. Growing with slender unbranched stems 10 to 25 centimeters tall, it emerges from a thin rhizome 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter. Its basal leaves are narrow, 3 to 8 millimeters wide, with 1 to 4 cauline leaves that are bract-like or similar to the basal leaves. The flowers feature a distinctive perianth tube 30 to 58 millimeters long that narrows at the base and widens dramatically at the mid-throat.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: Slender N-CA iris; long perianth tube (30-58 mm) narrow then abruptly widened at mid-throat; opposite enclosing bracts
Habitat and range
California counties: Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, Plumas, Siskiyou, Tehama, Glenn, Butte, Placer, Lake, Colusa, Mendocino, Del Norte, Yuba, Lassen
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 tenuissima native to California?
Yes. Iris tenuissima is native to California (recorded as native).
Where in California does Iris tenuissima grow?
Iris tenuissima occurs in Shasta, Trinity, Humboldt, Plumas, Siskiyou, Tehama, Glenn, Butte and other counties.
What plant family does Iris tenuissima belong to?
Iris tenuissima is in the Iridaceae family, genus Iris.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
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.