It has green leaves, short stem and 2 violet, purple, lavender or blue flowers.

[3][4] It has red-brown or maroon-brown fibres or sheaths, that can be 10–13 cm (4–5 in) long, which are the remains of the previous seasons leaves.

[3][5][8] It has one or two terminal (at the top of the stem) flower,[3][6] between April and May (in Europe)[4] and between May and June (in Asia).

[5] The flowers are 7–5 cm (3–2 in) in diameter,[3] and come in shades between violet,[3][7][8] purple,[4][8] lavender[5] and blue colours.

[9] It has a chromosome count: 2n=14 [4] It is written as 大苞鸢尾 in Chinese script and known as da bao yuan wei in China.

[5] The Latin specific epithet bungei refers to the Baltic German botanist Alexander Bunge (1803–1890).

[20] A specimen plant can be seen in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, collected from Mongolia australis on 1 July 1871 by N.M.

[21] It was first published and described by Karl Maximowicz in the 'Bulletin of the Academy Imperial Sciences Saint Petersburg Vol.26 page509 in 1880.

[23] It can also be found in eastern Siberia,[8] Tibet,[18] and China,[8] (in the provinces of Gansu, Nei Mongol, Ningxia and Shanxi).

[2] Specimen plants can be found growing in the Botanical Garden of the University of Halle.

[25] The root of Iris bungei is a source of 'Irilin A' (an organic compound,[26]) and 'Irilin B' (which is also found in red clover leaves,[27]) and 'Irilin D', which are all used as Supplements.

[28] In December 2005, plants of the ranges of Mongolia were studied for palatability by various farm animals.