The New Zealand Plant Conservation Network

How can I identify if an iris is a stinky iris or a common blue one, at this time of the year when there are no flowers yet? Does the common blue one have the seed pods at the base of the leaves near the root? Thank you.

I'm presuming the common blue one is I. unguicularis aka I. stylosa. You are correct in saying the seed pod is low down in the plant but the leaf is also narrower than that of I foetidissima. I measured one of the former's leaves at 8mm and I'd guess that I. foetidissima has a max leaf width of twice that or more. The leaf of I. unguicularis is rather a blue green and that of I. foetidissima is a darker green, at least in our area.

There is also Arista ecklonii, not technically an iris I think?, but similar. I can't tell it from stinking iris except by what has been seen flowering commonly in the vicinity.