A rare sight

These are large and old irises, given by a neighbor many years ago. There are leaves every year but flowers seldom. I didn't catch a picture of these until after the first flower was done. The most common irises around here of the types that were grown long ago are the white ones. The white ones have quite a scent, but these have their own very fierce aura of licorice. They are of a very subtle color, not easily captured in any photograph. I think that they appear at their best under cloudy skies.