''Iris macrosiphon'', the bowltube iris, is a

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. They include all forbs (flowering plants without a woody stem), grasses and grass-like plants, a vast majority of ...

in the

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

family,

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the ...

in the Cascade Range Foothills, north and central

Sierra Nevada The Sierra Nevada () is a mountain range in the Western United States, between the Central Valley of California and the Great Basin. The vast majority of the range lies in the state of California, although the Carson Range spur lies primari ...

Foothills,

Inner North Coast Ranges The Inner North Coast Ranges occur along the east slope of the outer Northern California Coast Ranges. The term ''inner'' is a reference to the greater distances of the mountain ranges from the Pacific Ocean, compared to the ''outer'' ranges that ...

, and

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, often referred to as simply the Bay Area, is a populous region surrounding the San Francisco, San Pablo, and Suisun Bay estuaries in Northern California. The Bay Area is defined by the Association of Bay Area Gov ...

, where it occurs in sunny grasslands, meadows, and open woodlands. The leaves are very slender, 2.5–5 mm wide, and blue-green in color. The

flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism ...

is variable, golden yellow to cream or pale lavender to deep blue-purple, generally with darker veins. The flower stems are usually short (less than 25 cm) when in the sun and bear 2 flowers. It blooms in spring.

Uses

Used as a source of fiber by Native Americans. The fiber was used for fish nets, deer snares and other items. It is also cultivated as an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

, where it prefers dry summer dormancy, with good drainage.

References

Jepson Flora Project: ''Iris macrosiphon''ITIS 43220Flora of North America:USDA: Plants Profile:Images from the CalPhotos archive:
*Harlow, Nora, Jakob, Kristin, and Raiche, Roger (2003) ''Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses''. University of California Press.

{{Taxonbar, from=Q6070374 macrosiphon Endemic flora of California Natural history of the California chaparral and woodlands Flora of the Sierra Nevada (United States) Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Natural history of the San Francisco Bay Area Taxa named by John Torrey Fiber plants Garden plants of North America Flora without expected TNC conservation status