The beautiful pure white iris, Iris albicans, is the most abundant iris on Skopelos and can sometimes be found in large colonies. A bearded iris, I. albicans similar in structure to Iris germanicus but smaller and stockier. There are usually 2-3  flowers on each stem which open sequentially. The large petals are all white apart from the guide lines and beard. The shiny green, sword shaped leaves appear before the flowers and often survive throughout the winter. It is almost certain that these irises were introduced during the time of the Ottoman Empire as they were traditionally planted in moslem cemeteries.