It was originally described by Fomin, as a separate species before Brian Mathew in 1981, added it to Iris spuria as one of its many subspecies.

[15][16][17] It has small, green, leathery ovate or lanceolate, spathes (leaves of the flower bud).

[21] The long and narrow falls have a reflexed, elliptical, almost round blade, with a yellow central stripe or blaze,[3][4][11] which leads along the long thin claw (section closest to the stem).

[3][6] The erect, upright standards, are slightly ruffled, oblanceolate and single coloured.

[3] After the iris has flowered, it produces an ovaloid (or ellipsoid), cylindrical,[4] seed capsule between late August and early September.

[8] In 1999, a chemical compound study was carried out on the rhizomes of Iris spuria subsp.

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

[26] The Latin specific epithet carthaliniae refers to a Carthalin (a former Russian province in the Caucasus).

It was originally published and described by Aleksandr Vasiljevich Fomin as Iris carthaliniae in 'Vĕstnik Tiflisskago Botaniceskago Sada.

Moniteur du Jardin Botanique de Tiflis' (Vĕstn.

[11][33] The description was based on specimens collected in Georgia near the town of Mtskheta,[8][9] within the Caucasus Mountains near the city of Tbilisi.

[15][17][36] It has been found in the Caucasus region,[2][13][38] within (the former USSR state of) Georgia (or Gruzia),[18][36][38] Azerbaijan,[7][39] and Armenia.

[5] It can be grown in flower beds and borders (with peonies and other herbaceous plants),[12] or along pond edges.

[4] In 2003, specimens are listed as being found in some botanic gardens and parks in Portugal.