Beard

Here's how the Bearded Iris got it's name.

Iris babadaghensis is a very dwarf bearded iris, a little over 10cm high. It's survived here for a good few years so it must be pretty tough.

Look very carefully and you can also see one of the anthers with it's creamy pollen. As a pollinator tunnels down to get nectar from the throat of the flower, it picks up pollen on it's back, this is then transferred to the stigmatic lip, just above the anther, as the pollinator leaves the flower or enters the next one.