Iris douglasiana
Iris douglasiana, the Douglas iris, is a common wildflower of the coastal regions of Northern and Central California and southern Oregon in the United States. It grows mainly at lower elevations, below , though it is occasionally found at heights of up to . It is most common in grasslands near the coast; it is regarded as a noxious weed in pastures, because it forms clumps that inhibit other vegetation, and its leaves are bitter and unpalatable to cattle. This is a typical beardless iris of subgenus "Limniris", series "Californicae", growing from a rhizome that is typically less than a  centimeter in diameter. Its leaves are about wide. The flowers, appearing from April to June, are usually a purplish-blue, though occasionally white or yellow flowers are found. Two or three flowers are found on each stem, which is of variable height, ranging from tall. Taxonomy. It was first described by 19th century botanist David Douglas in Monterey, California. It was first published by the british botanist William Herbert in 'Bot. Beechey Voy.' 9 on page 395 in 1840. Several varieties have been recognized, for example "Iris douglasiana" var. "altissima" and "Iris douglasiana" var. "oregonensis" , but the species is highly  variable and the varieties may not be well enough defined to be of much practical use. The Douglas iris hybridizes freely with several other species; its natural hybrid with "I. innominata" has been designated as "Iris" ×"thompsonii" , and the garden hybrid with the same species as "Iris" ×"aureonympha" . This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.