It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the middle East, within the countries of Iraq, Turkey, Syria and Israel.

It has linear, grey-green or green broad leaves, tall stem with 2–3 branches, holding up to 9 scented flowers, in shades of violet, purple, lavender blue and light blue, with a yellow and white or orange and white beard.

[1] It is also similar in form to Iris cypriana but outer bract (spathe) is brown and papery in the upper third only.

[6][14]: 123 The stem has broad,[6][8] spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which are green in the lower half,[8] and (scarious) membranous or brown and papery,[2] in the upper third of the leaf.

[15]: 17  The falls are obovate or cuneate (wedge shaped),[6] with a white haft (section closest to the stem),[1] that has bronzy purple veins,[2][12][15]: 17  or lines.

[2][6][7][15]: 17  The standards are obovate or unguiculate (claw shaped), they are paler than the falls,[6][15]: 17  and have a pale haft that is also marked with bronzy-purple.

[8] It has a rounded ovary, blue-purple style arms, violet crests, white filaments and cream anther.

[6] After the iris has flowered, it produces an oblong or trigonal seed capsule, that is 5–6.5 cm (2–3 in) long.

Inside the capsule, are large, pyriform (pear-shaped), brown wrinkled seeds.

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

[24] It is known in Hebrew as אִירוּס אֲרַם-נַהֲרַיִם[3][10][17] It is written in Arabic as أللّغة آلعربيّة سوسن عراقي [3] The Latin specific epithet mesopotamica refers to the former region of Mesopotamia, which equates to the current countries of Iraq, Syria and Kuwait.

In the 1800s, Mr Michael Foster was sent several rhizomes of wild plants collected in Turkey,[21] and the eastern part of the Mediterranean.

It is found in Turkey (including the region of Hatay Province,[5]),[2][13][28] Syria,[2][13][28] and Israel (within Mount Hermon,[4][10][18] Galilee,[4] and Golan[1][3]).

Paul Mouterde (French botanist 1892–1972) stated that wild populations exist in the mountains of north Syria.

[1] The rhizomes can be susceptible to 'iris root rot', also the leaves may also be affected by leaf spot (heterosporium gracile).

[25] Then in the early 20th century, William Mohr,[39] and Sydney B Mitchell (from California) used the iris in breeding programmes of tall bearded varieties.

[42] The rhizomes also contain a plenty of starch, including isoflavone and essential oils which are used in perfumery,[1] similar to Iris florentina.