It has curved or straight leaves, cream, greenish or yellowish flowers which are variable and veined with crimson, purple-brown, reddish brown, reddish-purple or black.

It has a dark maroon, rich crimson or brown signal patch and gold or yellow beard.

[5] They have a cream, greenish[8][9][6] or yellowish ground or base colour,[10] which is variable and veined with crimson, purple-brown,[8][9][6] reddish brown, reddish-purple or black.

[4] In the middle of the falls is a signal patches, which is dark maroon,[4] rich crimson or brown.

[5][8] Tetraploids were induced successfully from in vitro plantlets of I. sari by treating the micro-bulbs with colchicine.

It was then first published by botanist Schott[9] in The Gardeners' Chronicle (magazine) series 2, in issue 5 on page 788 in 1876, based on an earlier description by Baker.

[17] Due to the wide range in geographical area and habitat, the iris has the tendency to vary in the size of the flowers and leaves.

[4] Manissadjianii was named after an Armenian schoolteacher and botanist J. J. Manissadijan and friend of Freyn.

[18][19] In 1887, Foster named another form as Iris lupina as the colour of the flower matched a fox.

[4] I. sari is known to be fairly easy to grow,[6] and it can be cultivated in an Alpine house[6] or bulb frame,[21] where it should be given sharp drainage and some protection from winter wet, although it is normally cold hardy.

[7] In more drier and hardier areas, it can be grown in rockeries, as long as the plant has a summer drought,[5] which imitates the special xerothermic conditions.

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