Description: Strictly protected species and endemic to central and southern Dalmatia. Perennial with branched rootstock. The stem is up to 1 m high. The leaves are, near ground, flat and colour, curved, up to 3 cm wide. The flower sheathing leaves are dry, leathery. The flowers are of purple colour and consist of three outer petals bent backwards and three inner upright petals. The fruit is a large three-part capsule with flat seeds.

Flowering time: May-July

Habitat: Rocky areas, rocky grasslands

Interesting fact: The name of the genus comes from the word iris, which means a rainbow. In old Slavic mythology, the god Perun was a god of thunder, and mythology says that an iris grew in every place where lightning struck the ground.