The cytotaxonomic comparison betweenIris palestinaBoiss. andIris alataPoir., shows that they are closely related. The main differences between the two species include a) the area of distribution and b) the size of at least one of the chromosome pairs as well as differences in the number and location of secondary constrictions. Relatively small karyotype differences also exist betweenI. palestinafrom Israel and from Lebanon and also betweenI. alatafrom different localities in Sicily.