It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the cliffs and forest glades on the mountains of Turkey.

It has straight or falcate shaped leaves, stem with several branches, the stem has purple spathes (leaves of the flower bud), it has up to 8 fragrant flowers, in various colours between yellow (white, pale yellow, pale brown and tan) or blue (purple, lavender, pale blue to ice blue).

[3][4] Similar to Iris junonia, it is herbaceous, the leaves die in the winter, when they re-grow in the spring.

[4] The stem has obtuse or rounded,[4] inflated,[4][10] spathes that are very heavily stained purple.

[4] The stems (and the many branches) hold up to 8 flowers,[2] in spring,[5][10] between March or April,[5] to May,[2][3][6] or (rarely) July.

[4] In the centre of the fall, is a strip of thick hairs (the beard), which is white tipped with yellow,[4][10] or orange.

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

[4][16] The Latin specific epithet purpureobractea refers to the purple bracts of the iris.

[7][13][17] The plant was collected on Honaz Dag, by Professor Asuman Baytop of the Faculty of Pharmacy, Istanbul University.

[citation needed] It is also found on Honaz Mountain[3][6] in Denizli Province.

It grows on the mountains (made of volcanic rock[4]), in scrub lands,[4] on rock slopes,[6] on cliff sides, or on plateaus,[7] within open glades in forests (made up of cedar and pine trees[6]).

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