It is a rhizomatous perennial, with a wide distribution, ranging from eastern Europe to Central Asia.

[2][5] That are tall and thin, and grass-like,[3][9][10] measuring between 10 – 40 cm (8–13 in) long and 2 – 6 mm wide.

[9] It blooms in spring,[12] (between May, June and July in the UK),[8][11] or early to mid-summer,[3] with one normally, but occasionally 2 fragrant flowers.

[2][7][6] The bracts (measuring 3–5 cm ) are greenish with pink margins,[6] violet blue stigma,[12] and milky white anthers.

[2] It has a globose (globe-like) ovoid-shaped seed capsule (measuring 1.2—1.5 cm) in June–August (after the flowering period is over).

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

[23] Iris ruthenica was first published by John Bellenden Ker Gawler in Botanical Magazine in 1808.

[20] Iris ruthenica is native to a wide region, including temperate Asia and Europe.

[4] In Mongolia it is found under Pinus sylvestris/Betula platyphylla subtaiga forests, in montane meadow steppes with Festuca lenensis and Artemisia sericea and in Pinus sibirica/Picea obovata dark taiga forests (within the upper montane belt with Rubus saxatilis and Lathyrus humilis).

[30] Elsewhere in Eurasia, it is found in the Larch forests of Altai and Sayan mountains including Tuva).

[32] On the Altai Mountains, it is found with other mountain flowers including Siberian dogs-tooth violet (Erythronium krylovii), Altai Foxtail Lily (Eremurus), a variety of saxifrages, Aquilegia, Gentiana grandiflora, Papaver nudicaule and the yellow Iris bloudowii.

[7][5][13] Unlike many other irises, it can only be moved with success, during the spring and summer when it is in full growth.

[10][13][15] Iris ruthenica is grown in several Russian botanical gardens including, Barnaul, Ivanovo, Irkutsk, Kirov, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, St. Petersburg, Stavropol, Tomsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Chita.