Not sure if this is what you mean, Ken but tall bearded irises typically have what are known as "standards" and "falls" that give them their typical shape.
So for example, scroll up to your 3 pictures above. In your first picture of the yellow/reddish one, the plain yellow petals are the standards, and the reddish petals with the yellow edges are the falls. The standards never open out, that I can recall.
Siberian iris have standards that stand up like bearded ones, and so do the Dutch iris that you see as cut flowers.
Other types of iris open out flat, like these which are Louisiana Iris. I'm thinking Japanese iris are more flattened like this in shape, too. Wander over to the iris forum, if you want to know more than you ever imagined . . .
