Tanuki iris - Tanuki iris

Japanese: タヌキアヤメ - たぬきあやめ

An upright herb of the Iridaceae family (illustration). The stem grows to a height of 50-100cm, is covered with down and branches somewhat at the top. The leaves are folded at the base to embrace the stem, are sword-shaped and about 30cm long, but become shorter as they get higher up the stem. The spike at the top of the stem is 30-60cm long, and produces single flowers between the leaf-like bracts. The perianth is yellow, with the two outer petals greatly recurved and the inner one a petaloid version of a degenerate stamen, and is lobed at the tip. There is one fertile stamen, and the ovary is superior and single-lobed.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

タヌキアヤメ科の直立性草本（イラスト）。茎は高さ50～100cmになり，綿毛をかぶり，上部で多少分枝する。葉は基部が茎を抱くように折りたたまれ，剣状で長さ30cmほどだが，茎の上部になるにしたがい短小となる。茎頂に生じる穂状花序は長さ30～60cm，葉状の苞間に花を単生する。花被は黄色，外側の2枚は大きく反曲し，内側のものは退化おしべが弁化したもので，先端が裂ける。稔性おしべは1本，子房は上位で1室。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

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