It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus Mountains of Armenia, eastern Georgia, and western Azerbaijan.

It has narrow, glaucous, gray-green and sickle shaped leaves, short stem holding a single flower in late spring.

Although, it has many hybrid forms dues to its variability and has 2 known subspecies of Iris iberica subsp.

It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it is hardier than other Oncocyclus species.

[4]) or xeric species (similar to Seseli grandivittatum, Thymus tiflisiensis, Scorzonera eriosperma and Tulipa eichleri).

[6][7][8] The leaves start to grow in Autumn (near to September), after a summer rest period after flowering.

[15][16][17] The stem has a green, lanceolate, membranous,[6] spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which are variable is size, between 3 mm[7] and 5 cm long.

[21] The very variable,[6][8][9] bi-coloured flowers,[11] have a white,[8][19][22] silvery white,[23] cream,[6][24] or pale bluish background,[7][10][13] with heavily stippled,[16] spotted or veined in pale mauve,[18] violet,[19] dark purple, maroon,[7][12][23] or purple-brown.

[18][8] In the center of the falls, is a velvet-like,[9][22] dark,[14] deep rich purple,[6] black-purple,[15] brown,[7] or blackish blotch or signal patch.

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

[31] The Latin specific epithet iberica refers to ibericus -a -um, coming from the Georgian Caucasus,[32] or eastern Turkey.

[33] It was originally found in Transcaucasus,[15][16] and it was first published and described by Georg Franz Hoffmann in Vol.1 page 41 of Commentationes Societatis Physico-Medicae apud Universitatem Litteratum Caesaream Mosquensem Institutae (Commentat.

[27] It was also published as Iris iberica in Gartenflora page3 in 1863, then in Curtis's Botanical Magazine Table 5847 in 1870 and Revue Horticole Vol.45 page 370 on 1 October 1873.

[10][12][35] I. iberica itself is found only in eastern Georgia,[19][36][41] (near Tbilisi,[2][12][42]) Armenia,[18] and western Azerbaijan.

[18] It is thought to be close to being extinct in Armenia, due to the effects of land development,[18] in Georgia it was fairly common in selected sites, but has been picked and sold in markets, which has affected the iris populations.

[45] This includes parts of Europe, where it can be planted in a sunny,[24] rock garden position, in sandy soil.

[11] In order to protect the iris from excess moisture (especially during winter times) and also to ensure the (shallow planted) rhizomes get the best temperatures during the growing season.

[47] It is also the host plant of Mononychus schoenherrii Kolenati (a weevil that feeds on the seeds of the iris).

Adult weevils emerge from the seed capsules, fly off for aestivation (summer dormancy) and hibernation.

[25] A specimen of the iris can be found in the Herbarium Hookerianum within the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

[51] Cornelius Gerrit Van Tubergen jr of Haarlem in Holland was another major breeder of irises, including I. iberica x Iris germanica macrantha which produced a large (6 in) blue flower with a black blue signal spot, but he found the irises need the dry baking heat in summer, so they do not freely produce flowers in Europe.

violacea X I. iberica),[78] 'Psyche' (Black, lavender, silver/grey, wine blooms)[79] 'Sophrosyne' (I. korolkowii var.

concolor X I. iberica, silver lilac, veined dark maroon),[81] 'Urania' (I. korolkowii var.

[96] unknown and Iris iberica: 'Dusky Nomad' (Grey standards, heavily veined dark purple; falls same but darker, dark signal, a natural hybrid collected by J. Archibald in Persian Azerbaijan) affiliated with Iris lycotis).

[15][102] Known Iris iberica cultivars include: 'Bellii' (dark lilac standards),[6][40] 'Elegantissima', 'Heterochroa', 'Iberica Aurea', 'Iberica Cremea', 'Iberica Flavissima', 'Iberica Ochracea' (falls of ochraceous brown colour),[6][40] 'Iberica Van Houtteii', 'Insignis', Lycotis, 'Lycotis Magnifica', 'Lycotis Pardus', 'Lycotis Typica', 'Pantera', 'Perryana' (flowers smaller than the type, with pale lilac standards),[6][40] 'Robudtasorun', 'Robusta',[15] 'Rustavi' (found in Rustavi region, has pale standards, deep chocolate veins and coffee coloured signal patch).

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