Rhizomes indistinct. Roots fleshy. Leaves grayish green, narrowly linear, 15--25 cm × 2--3 mm, veins 2 or 3, base surrounded by brown fibers. Flowering stems simple or 1-branched, 6--14 cm; spathes 3, green, narrowly lanceolate, 2.5--4.5 cm × 6--8 mm, 2-flowered, apex acuminate. Flowers violet, ca. 5 cm in diam. Outer perianth segments obovate, limb 3.5--4 × ca. 1.5 cm, with a crest; inner segments narrowly ovate or broadly lanceolate, ca. 3.5 × 1.5 cm. Style branches broad, ca. 4 × 1.5 cm; terminal lobes incurved toward center of flower. Fl. May--Jun, fr. Jul--Sep.

Two of us (Noltie and Mathew) have not seen the type of Iris latistyla and consider the taxon to be doubtfully distinct from I. decora.

* Forest margins, grasslands near rice fields; 3100--4000 m. SE Xizang.