Looks like an iris to me.

I agree, that rhizome and the fan of leaves both indicate that.

Many thanks.

It's not flowered for a couple of years and while the flower is black (rather ugly and short lived in this location) I suppose it's unlikely that I'll get a true identity until it performs.

I wait, camera poised!!

Well that cold snap didn't go down too well.... as a wise old sage suggested recently, this climate is not quite up to Jordanian desert condttions. Looks as though it started optimistically until the cooler weather whereupon it decided to get back indoors again! It has all drooped so if we are correct, we may have missed yet another year. It will be moved this year though, put it somewhere sunnier.