Thompson’s iris –Iris thompsonii

Range: Lower regions in the Klamath Range of Del Norte County in northwestern California and southwestern Oregon, 300 to 2000 ft (90 to 600 m) elevation.

Original collection: Douglas Park on the Smith River, Del Norte County, California, by J.W. Thompson, 1928.

Name: By Robert C. Foster, 1936, for J.W. Thompson.

Key identifying features:

1. Floral tube slender, funnel-shaped at top, medium length (around ¾ inch).
2. Spathes short, broad and closed around ovary.
3. Ovary triangular in cross section.
4. Flower parts rather broad and rounded.
5. Numerous flowers on each mature clump.
6. Leaves very slender, grass-like, dark glossy green above, lighter matte below, long-lasting.
7. Mature plants form dense, compact evergreen tussocks.

Flower color: Pale lavender to violet purple, occasionally white or gray.

Habitat: Open hillsides, sunny meadows or other exposed sites on lightly shaded slopes; fir / pine forests; well-drained soil.

Comments: Thompson’s iris was originally considered a variable hybrid population – the product of repeated crosses betweenIris innominata andIris douglasiana. Prof. Carol Wilson’s research indicates that comparisons of these three species does not indicate a hybrid origin forIris thompsonii.