Iris is a genus of rhizomatous or bulbous perennial plants in the Iridaceae family. The genus Iris contains 210 species and countless horticultural varieties. Horticultural hybrid Irises are often found in gardens, mistakenly called Germanic Irises. Like many flowering plants, the first irises appeared in the late Cretaceous (Campanian) around 80 million years ago in an area that is now Antarctica. Irises are now found throughout the northern hemisphere, in Europe as well as in Asia, North Africa and North America. The garden of the irises of the castle of Vuillerens, near Morges, offers magnificent walks.