ground level rebloom in Iris longipetala?

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Here?s a question for the group.

For 15-20 years, we?ve had Iris longipetala (aka I. missouriensis longipetala, or I. missouriensis var  longipetala) growing in our back yard, just above sea level in Petaluma California. The colony began with a couple of plants and now it?s about 6 feet across.

Usually, these iris start blooming around mid-February and finish after a month or so by mid-March. The flowers typically appear on 12-18 inch tall stalks.

This year something different has happened. I mid-April, two of the plants produced new flowers ? two on each plant and on stalks only 2-3 inches tall. They are somewhat smaller, but otherwise look similar to those that finished blooming a month earlier.

Is this later, ground-level reflowering something well-known with Iris longipetala (I. m. longipetala)? I?ve never noticed it in the wild populations in grassland and pastures areas north of the San Francisco Bay (or perhaps just not paid attention to it if I did see it).

I?d be grateful for any thoughts on this.

Steve Ayala

Petaluma, CA