[1] The name is from Greek diploos ("double") and arren ("male");[2] plants in the genus have only two functional stamens, while all other Iridaceae have three.

The name is often misspelled Diplarrhena, an error that began with George Bentham's Flora Australiensis in 1873.

These plants are tufted perennial herbs with short rhizomes.

The leaves are basal, linear, flat, and present all year.

There are two species: The cultivar 'Amethyst Fairy' is a large-flowered selection with darker markings on the inner tepals.