Iris dichotoma Pall.

This species was treated by Goldblatt et al. (in Kubitzki, Fam. Gen. Vasc. Pl. 3: 326. 1998) under Pardanthopsis (Hance) Lenz, a monospecific genus between Iris and Belamcanda.

Rhizomes erect, brown, very short, stout. Roots long, thick. Leaves in basal fans and alternate on flowering stems proximally, grayish green, sword-shaped, slightly curved, 15--35 × 1.5--3 cm, midvein absent. Flowering stems dichotomously branched, 40--60 cm, leafy; spathes 4 or 5, green, lanceolate, 1.5--2.3 cm, 3- or 4-flowered, apex obtuse. Flowers violet, pale blue, or cream with purplish brown markings, 4--4.5 cm in diam., spiralling after anthesis; pedicel exserted from spathes, 2--3.5 cm, stiff, persistent. Perianth tube extremely short; outer segments broadly oblanceolate, 3--3.5 × ca. 1 cm, claw striped with yellowish brown, limb with darker spots on a central, pale patch; inner segments narrowly obovate, ca. 2.5 cm × 6--8 mm, apex retuse. Stamens 1.6--1.8 cm. Ovary green, ca. 1 cm. Style branches flat, ca. 2.5 cm. Capsule yellowish green, cylindric, 3.5--5 × 1--1.2 cm. Seeds dark brown, elliptic, with small wings. Fl. Jul--Aug, fr. Aug--Sep. 2 n = 32*.

Anhui, Gansu, Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Ningxia, Shaanxi, Shandong, Shanxi, Yunnan [Korea, Mongolia, Russia].

Quercus forests, sandy grasslands, dry sunny areas; 200--2300 m.

Pardanthopsis dichotoma (Pallas) Lenz.