Libertia peregrinans

Libertia peregrinans is a species of perennial herb in the family Iridaceae and the subfamily Iridoideae. It reaches 0.3 metres (1 foot 0 inches) in height. Its leaves reach 130–700 mm × 3–9 mm long, they also can turn to a copper colour when exposed to sunlight. Its margins are often finely rough (scabrid) in texture. The inflorescences (flower clusters) have short peduncles. Its panicles are narrow and cloesly branched. Each panicle has 1 to 7 flowers with slender pedicels, which are about 10–30 mm long. Its bracts are 40–170 mm long. Flowers are 10–30 mm in diameter, with white-coloured tepals. Its stamens are found at the base, with yellow-brown anthers which are about 3–3.5 mm long. Fruits are 6–15 × 4–10 mm long, initially green maturing to orange yellow, or black, splitting open at maturity with often widely recurved valves. Its seeds are a bright tangerine-orange colour, 1–1.5 mm long, and partially globe-shaped in character.

Libertia peregrinans is endemic to New Zealand. Its range covers the North, South, and Stewart Islands. It also occurs on the Chatham Islands. In the North Island, its range covers the western side of the island between Kawhia Harbour and Wellington. In the South Island, L. peregrinans occurs in two main populations, one of these occurs through the coastal West Coast, Nelson, and Marlborough Regions. L. peregrinans's second main distribution area is found in the Southland and Otago Regions. Collections from North-West Nelson are hybrids with L. ixioides. Other specimens from inland areas such as Lake Te Anau, Taranaki, and near Mount Ruapehu also show some L. ixioides characteristics. L. peregrinans's 2023 assessment in the New Zealand Threat Classification System was "Threatened – Nationally Vulnerable".

Habitat. Libertia peregrinans inhabits coastal to lowland areas. It typically occurs near coastal scrub, beaches, dune systems, estuaries, and river mouths. It can also occasionally be found inland. It grows to an altitude of 915 m (3,000 ft) above sea level. L. peregrinans seems to prefer gravelly, peaty, pumiceous and sandy soils. It commonly coincides with various native New Zealand plants, such as Apodasmia similis and Gleichenia dicarpa.

The etymology (word origin) of L. peregrinans's genus name, Libertia, is named in honour of the Belgian botanist and writer Marie-Anne Libert. The specific epithet (second part of the scientific name), peregrinans, means 'wandering'. The species is commonly known as mikoikoi and New Zealand iris.