Iris caucasica

Iris caucasica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Subfamily: Iridoideae
Tribe: Irideae
Genus: Iris
Subgenus: Scorpiris
Species: Iris caucasica
Binomial name
Iris caucasica
Hoff.
Synonyms
  • Iris caucasica turcica
  • Coresantha caucasica (Hoffm.)
  • Costia caucasica (Hoffm.) Willk.
  • Iris caucasica subsp. caucasica
  • Juno caucasica (Hoffm.) Tratt.
  • Neubeckia caucasica (Hoffm.) Alef.
  • Thelysia caucasica (Hoffm.) Parl.
  • Xiphion caucasicum (Hoffm.) Baker [1]

Iris caucasica (also known as Caucasean Iris)[2][3] is a species of plant in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Scorpiris. Pronounced as 'kaw-KAS-ee-kuh'.[4]

It is a bulbous perennial

It was described in 'Commentat. Soc. Phys.' to Caesareae Universitatis Mosquensis of 1808 by Georg Hoffman.[5]

It was once confused with iris orchioides, but iris caucasica is a smaller plant, with sessile flowers. Also it has leaves that have white margins.[6]

Iris caucasica is an accepted name by the RHS.[2]

Habit

It has between 1–4 flowers per stem, normally pale yellow or green and with winged falls.[7] The falls also have a yellow ridge.[8] The flowers are 5–15 cm (2–6 in) across.[7] It flowers in later spring.[9] It eventually reaches a height of 15 cm (flower and stem).[9] he flowers are not fragrant.[6]

It has grey green leaves,[8] which are ciliate[9] and that start growing at flowering time.[7] They reach up to 10–12 cm long and l-2 cm wide.[9] The leaves have a faint white margin.[10]

It has a brown ovoid bulb with fleshy roots.[6] It is similar to Iris persica.[3]

Native

Iris caucasica grows on limestone mountain slopes (at 1200-3500m above sea level)[9] in Turkey[8] and Armenia and Azerbaijan,[11] in the Caucasus mountains.[8] Bieberstein notes seeing it near Tbilisi in the South Caucasus.[3] It has also been found in Israel and Iran.[10]

Hybrids

In 1892, Michael Foster introduced a hybrid version 'Iris Caucasica Kharput'.[4] Which does not have winged falls.[7] It still has 4–5 flowers per stem, which are greenish-yellow. But they are generally larger than parent plant.[6]

References

  1. "Iris caucasica Hoffm.". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Iris caucasica". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Robert Sweet, Edwin Dalton Smith (1904)The British Flower Garden: Containing Coloured Figures & Descriptions of the Most Ornamental & Curious Hardy Herbaceous Plants (1829), p. 255, at Google Books
  4. 1 2 "Iris caucasica 'Caucasica Kharput'". davesgarden.com. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  5. "Iris caucasica Hoffm". apps.kew.org. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Lynch, Richard (1904)The Book of the Iris, p. 176, at Google Books
  7. 1 2 3 4 Cassidy, G.E.; Linnegar, S. (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. p. 146. ISBN 0-88192-089-4.
  8. 1 2 3 4 "JunoIrises". www.pacificbulbsociety.org. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iris caucasica". encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net. 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  10. 1 2 "Iris - Caucasus Yellow,Caucasus Yellow Iris". www.searchlifeforms.com. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  11. "Taxon: Iris caucasica Hoffm.". ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 15 August 2014.

Sources

External links

Media related to Iris caucasica at Wikimedia Commons Data related to Iris caucasica at Wikispecies

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