Iris haynei: The national flower of Palestine

Iris haynei: The national flower of Palestine

Hayne's Iris is a geophyte endemic species to Palestine. It belongs to the Iridaceae family. It has smooth, linear or lanceolate, greyish-green leaves, entire, rosette, and alternate. It has a long slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to 60 cm tall. The stems carry the flowers high above the foliage. It has two pairs of petals, three large sepals, outer petals (falls), and three inner, smaller petals, tepals (standards). Standards and falls are covered by a dense net of veins interspersed with a profusion of fine, small dots; the patch is dark purple, almost black, petal, or tepal color: Crimson.
 Flowers blooming between March and April. 

It is an endemic plant to the Faqqu’a area in Jenin in the north of the west bank. 

Distribution in Palestine: It grows in Mediterranean woodlands, shrublands, and on rocky hillsides, found on the northern west bank, mostly in Faqqu’a in Jenin.

Cool Facts: Recently in 2016 it has been selected to be the national flower of the state of Palestine. 

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