The Iris (Iris sanguinea) belongs to Iridaceae (the Iris family). It is a perennial herb that is native to Japan, as well as the Korean Peninsula, northeastern China and Siberia. This herb grows in aridish grasslands and can reach 30-60 cm in height. The purple or rarely white flowers bloom from May to July. The outer tepals are large, drooping and have yellow nectar guides and purple netted patches on the bases. The inner tepals are small and erect. There is also "Shiro-ayame" (white iris" with white flower color. The Japanese name is derived from the yellowish purple twill pattern at the base of the outer petals. In Chinese, it is called "溪荪" (xi sun).
In Korean, it is called "put-kkot" (붓꽃). This is a compound word made up of "brush" (put: 붓) and "flower" (kkot: 꽃). The name comes from the fact that the shape of the bud resembles a calligraphy brush.