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Photographer: Merel R. Black
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Family Iridaceae
Iris versicolor L.
blue flag, harlequin blue flag, northern blue flag
Iris: named for the Greek goddess of the rainbow
versicolor: variously colored
Hazardous 
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| Status: | Native |
| Plant: | erect, perennial, semi-aquatic to emergent, 2'-3' tall forb; stems equal to or slightly taller than the leaves; roots stout, sometimes partially exposed rhizomes |
| Flower: | blue to purple, 6-parted, 4" wide, short-stalked, either no spot or a greenish-yellow spot at the base of the sepals; inflorescence held above the leaves; blooms June-July |
| Fruit: | 3-angled, cylindrical capsule |
| Leaf: | sword-shaped, cross-section V-shaped, in flat, fan-shaped clusters |
| Habitat: | full to partial sun; wet; meadows, streambanks, water less than 40" deep; in sandy, loamy soil |
| (Glossary) |
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