About Iris macrosiphon Torr.
Iris macrosiphon, commonly known as bowltube iris, is a flowering plant in the iris family. This species is endemic to California, where it grows in the Cascade Range Foothills, north and central Sierra Nevada Foothills, Inner North Coast Ranges, and the San Francisco Bay Area. It occurs naturally in sunny grasslands, meadows, and open woodlands. Its leaves are very slender, measuring 2.5 to 5 mm wide, and are blue-green in color. The flowers of this iris are variable in color, ranging from golden yellow to cream, or from pale lavender to deep blue-purple, and generally have darker visible veins. Flower stems are usually less than 25 cm tall when the plant grows in sunny locations, and each stem bears 2 flowers. Bowltube iris blooms in spring. Native Americans used this plant as a source of fiber; the harvested fiber was made into fish nets, deer snares, and various other items. It is also cultivated as an ornamental garden plant, and when cultivated it prefers a dry dormant period during summer and grows best in soil with good drainage.
