Iris curvifolia Y. T. Zhao

Rhizomes creeping, thick, ca. 2 cm in diam. Roots few branched, thick. Leaves glaucous green, falcate, 10--20 × 1--1.5 cm, middle part slightly wider. Flowering stems 8--12 cm, leafless, base with swollen, curved, sheathlike leaves with persistent bases; spathes 3, lanceolate, 5--6 × 1.3--1.8 cm, membranous, 2-flowered, apex acuminate. Flowers bright yellow with dark brown lines, 4.5--6 cm in diam. Perianth tube 2--3 cm; outer segments obovate, ca. 4.5 × 1.5 cm, beard pale yellow; inner segments oblanceolate, ca. 4 × 1.3 cm. Stamens ca. 2.2 cm; anthers yellow. Ovary cylindric, 1.8--2.2 cm. Style branches ca. 3 cm × 4 mm. Capsule oblong-ellipsoid, ca. 4 × 2 cm, apex rounded, shortly beaked. Seeds reddish brown, pyriform, asymmetric. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Sep.

* Grasslands on hillsides. Xinjiang.