Iridaceae
| Iridaceae | |
|---|---|
| Crocus vernus | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae | 
| Clade: | Tracheophytes | 
| Clade: | Angiosperms | 
| Clade: | Monocots | 
| Order: | Asparagales | 
| Family: | Iridaceae Juss. | 
| Subfamilies and tribes | |
| 
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Iridaceae (/ɪrɪˈdeɪsiˌaɪ, -siːˌiː/) is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises. It has a nearly global distribution, with 69 accepted genera with a total of about 2500 species. It includes a number of economically important cultivated plants, such as species of Freesia, Gladiolus, and Crocus, as well as the crop saffron.
Members of this family are perennial plants, with a bulb, corm or rhizome. The plants grow erect, and have leaves that are generally grass-like, with a sharp central fold. Some examples of members of this family are the blue flag and yellow flag.