Iris versicolor, Blue flag Iris, Howard County, MD, Helen Lowe Metzman
One of our native Iris'. This is the Harlequin Blueflag (Iris versicolor), a reasonably widespread inhabitant of mucky freshwater marsh edges. Specimen and photograph from Helen Lowe Metzman.
Beauty is truth, truth beauty - that is all
Ye know on earth and all ye need to know
" Ode on a Grecian Urn"
John Keats. Original public domain image from Flickr