Iris as a plant was originally named by Carl Linnaeus in his book Systema Naturae (in 1735), with a great number of species being added into the genus.

By the 19th century botanists had created new genera such as Evansia, Hermodactylus, Moraea, Oncocyclus, and Xiphion.

Opinion was often divided whether to split the genus into several parts or lump them back into Iris.

From J. G. Baker, who separated some such as Moraea and Xiphion from Iris in his book 'Handbook of the Irideae' (published in London) in 1892.

Then William R. Dykes, who clarified the situation by a compromise in his monograph The Genus Iris (by Cambridge University Press, 1913; later reprinted in 1974 by Dover).

[citation needed] This is the largest section of the subgenus, the true bearded irises.

They also generally need rich soils that drain easy and are in full sun.

[10] Some of these species have been bred with bearded irises to create unique colours and markings.