There are over 200 species in this genus. Regardless of the common name, this plant is not a true grass which would put it in the Poaceae Family. What appear to be petals on the flowers are actually a combination of petals and sepals called tepals.

The genus name is Greek for the Barbary Nut Iris (Iris or Moraea sisyrinchium) whose corm resembles a shaggy goat's hair coat called a sisýra.