Participant Info

Species

Iris missouriensis [Iris arizonica]

Family

Iridaceae

CommonName

western iris

Presence

YES

Status

native, noxious

EarliestDate

1914

LatestDate

2018

Ecosystem

basin, shrubland, foothill, montane, subalpine, ruderal

Geobotanical

SSawatch, Garitas, SSanjuans, Culebras, NCristos, UBasin, LBasin

Counties

Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Hinsdale, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache, Archuleta

Passes

Moon, North, South

WildlifePreserves

Baca, Big Meadows Reservoir, Sego Springs, Smith Reservoir

Other Localities

Alamosa (town), La Botica

PhotoRecords

YES Rich Haswell: Hinsdale Co, North Clear Creek Falls 22 June 2017

Comments

Western iris is a native flower that prefers open mesic meadows, often growing near streams or lakes. It also invades pastures, as ranchers well know. They are advised by the USDA to treat the species as a "noxious weed" and to use herbicides against it. Although the roots are toxic, livestock do not like the taste of the plant and tend to let it proliferate. It is wide spread in all USA states west of the Great Plains, and follows the Rio Grande drainage of New Mexico to the Mexican border (but no farther).

Annotation