It has semi-evergreen, green, falcate leaves, slender stem, bi-coloured flowers, in dark purple, violet.

With a small dark spot and purple tipped yellow beard on the outer petals.

It is classified by the IUCN Red List as a critically endangered species in-situ, with only three known wild populations still existing (one in Lebanon and the other two in Syria), as well as a few reintroduced populations which were created in an attempt to conserve this very rare species in Lebanon.

They are stoloniferous, and are planted flush with the ground level, so that the upper part of the rhizome can be heated by the sun.

[2][4] They can sheath up to two-thirds of the stem;[4] after the plant has bloomed, they fade (in the summer sun) and die.

[2][3][4] In the middle of the falls, also is a row of short hairs called the beard, which is yellow,[3][5] sometimes purple tipped,[2][4][6] The standards are 6–10 cm (2–4 in) long, and 8 cm wide.

[2][4] They are pale violet,[6] or purple,[2][4] and have dark veins,[2] but no signal spot.

[4] It has light brown, style branches that are strongly keeled, and have lobes (tips) that are a similar colour to the falls.

[2] As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.

[10] The Latin specific epithet antilibanotica refers to Antilbanus (or Anti-Lebanon Mountains) in central Syria.

[3][4][5] Within the Anti Lebanon Mountains, it is found with other rare species including Thymus alfredae, Silene schlumbergeri, Alyssum subspinosum, Astragalus antilibani and Ferulago frigida.

[20] Such as housing and road construction,[21] also conversion of mountainsides to apple orchards.

Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting.