6 White Petals, 3 Purple Petals??? What is this???

I took this photograph and really like this flower, but I have no idea what it is... Do you???


mystery flower ( photo / image / picture from jad's Garden )

 

Perhaps some kind of Iris.

 

yes, I agree some kind of Iris....looks like a Siberian Iris maybe?

 

pretty iris! love it!

 

Certainly an Irid of some description, but which one is more of a problem. Need to look through the book!

 

Iris have three petals called standards and three petals called falls. Now that is fairly constant for all Iris, even if for some of them you have to look carefully to see the 3 plus 3 arrangement. This flower has 6 plus 3 which is not 'right' for an Iris. I
I am still looking for a name. It is really frustrating a. not being able to look at the picture again and b. having a name on the tip of my tongue. I have seen this flower before somewhere.

 

I have discovered it is a white african iris, thanks for the help and pointing me in the correct direction

 

I knew I had seen it somewhere. It is Dietes bicolor. Not an Iris as such, but in the same family.

 

Fascinating, the things I learn on Gardenstew. The 3 and 3 nature of iris, the existence of an African iris... nice.