Iris unguicularis (syn. I. stylosa) is a late winter flowering species from Algeria, has sky-blue flowers blotched with yellow, produced from November to March or April in the Northern Hemisphere.

   The Iris flowers produce a landing platform with their petals for the pollinating insects, which fly around it as they attempt to find a way to the wonderful nectar they can smell. While probing the perianth for nectar, they come in contact with the three stigmatic stamens and an ovary formed of three carpels.
   The transverse projection on the inner whorl under side of the stamens acts as a kind of platform, so that the insect comes in contact with its pollen-covered surface only after passing the stigma, but during backing out of the flower it will come in contact only with the non-receptive lower face of the stigma.
   When the insect bearing pollen from one flower, will in entering a second, deposit the pollen on the stigma, while in backing out of a flower, the pollen which it bears will not be rubbed off on the stigma of the same flower.
   Even in ancient times the root of Iris was used a perfumery and medicine. Iris roots contain terpenes, organic acids (miristic acid, undecilene acid, tridecilic acid), glycosides like for example iridin and the leaves contain ascorbic acid.
   The oil made from the flowers is often used in aromatherapy as sedative medicines. The aged Iris oil produces Iris butter used in many parfumes.