''Iris anguifuga'' (or snake-bane iris) is a beardless
iris in the genus ''
Iris'', in the subgenus ''
Limniris'' and in the series ''
Tenuifoliae'' of the genus. It is a
rhizomatous herbaceous
Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials.
Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous"
The fourth edition of t ...
perennial
A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...
, from China. It has narrow green leaves, long stem and violet or blue flowers.
Description
''Iris anguifuga'' has the unique form of having only one bract.
[ It is also similar in form to a slender spuria iris.][
When in growth (see above about seasonal bulb and seasonal rhizome habit), it has a short, thick rhizome, that is swollen and thicker at the top.][British Iris Society (1997) ]
It has the fibrous remains of last seasons growth leaves, similar to a bulb at the top.[
It has 3–5 linear, pointed (lanceolate), narrow, green leaves, between and wide.][ They have 3–6 parallel veins.][
It has a flowering stem of between tall.][
It has one terminal (at the top of the stem) flower,][ between March and April.][
It has 1 lanceolate (lance-like) between long and wide, ]spathe
In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of ...
s (leaves of the flower bud).[
The spider-like flowers are in diameter,][ and have a slight fragrance.][ The flowers are violet or blue.]sepals
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106 The term ''sepalum'' was coined b ...
(outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals (or tepals
A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of very ...
), known as the 'standards'.[ The long and narrow falls are oblanceolate, long and wide, they are sometimes marked with brown or purple lines or dots on the edges and along the centre of the petal.][ The standards are also oblanceolate, but are long and wide. They also have purple or brown markings.][
It has violet style branches, long and wide.][
It has a 2.5 cm long pedicel, 3 cm long perianth tube, 2.5 cm long stamens and bright yellow ]anthers
The stamen (plural ''stamina'' or ''stamens'') is the pollen-producing reproductive organ of a flower. Collectively the stamens form the androecium., p. 10
Morphology and terminology
A stamen typically consists of a stalk called the filam ...
.[
After the iris has flowered, in May and June, it produces a ]fusiform
Fusiform means having a spindle-like shape that is wide in the middle and tapers at both ends. It is similar to the lemon-shape, but often implies a focal broadening of a structure that continues from one or both ends, such as an aneurysm on a b ...
(spindle shaped) seed capsule, which is three angled and has a long beak on the end (almost as long as the capsule). It is long and wide.[ Inside, are 4-5mm diameter globose (spherical) seeds.][
]
Biochemistry
As most irises are diploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...
, having two sets of chromosomes
A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...
. This can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[
]
Taxonomy
It is written as 单苞鸢尾 in Chinese script
Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as ''kanji' ...
and known as ''dan bao yuan wei'' in China.[
The Latin ]specific epithet
In taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called nomenclature ("two-name naming system") or binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, bot ...
''anguifuga'' means snake-bane or snake-chaser.[
It was first published and described by Y.T.Zhao and X.J.Xue in 'Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica' (of ]Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
) Vol.18 Issue 1 page56 in 1980. They placed the iris within 'Section Ophioiris', (meaning 'snake iris', a separate section just for the iris,[) but ]Brian Mathew
Brian Frederick Mathew MBE, VMH is a British botanist, born in the village of Limpsfield, Surrey, England. His particular area of expertise is bulbous plants, particularly ornamental bulbous plants, although he has contributed to other fields o ...
(in his book 'The Iris',1981) included it within ''Series Tenuifoliae''.[ Later, chromosome counts, placed the iris within ''Series Tenuifoliae''.]United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...
Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...
on 4 April 2003.[
]
Distribution and habitat
''Iris anguifuga'' is native
Native may refer to:
People
* Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Native Americans (disambiguation)
In arts and entert ...
to temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (23.5° to 66.5° N/S of Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ranges throughout t ...
areas of Asia
Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an area ...
.[
]
Range
It is found within the Provinces of China
The provincial level administrative divisions () are the highest-level administrative divisions of China. There are 34 such divisions claimed by the People's Republic of China, classified as 23 provinces (), five autonomous regions, four munici ...
,[ in ]Anhui
Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
, Guangxi
Guangxi (; ; Chinese postal romanization, alternately romanized as Kwanghsi; ; za, Gvangjsih, italics=yes), officially the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region (GZAR), is an Autonomous regions of China, autonomous region of the People's Republic ...
and Hubei
Hubei (; ; alternately Hupeh) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, and is part of the Central China region. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Dongting Lake. The prov ...
.[
]
Habitat
It grows on the hillsides and in grasslands.[
]
Cultivation
''Iris anguifuga'' is not common in cultivation the UK or the USA.[
It is ]hardy
Hardy may refer to:
People
* Hardy (surname)
* Hardy (given name)
* Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica
* Mount Hardy, Enderby Land
* Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island
* Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands
Australia
* Hardy, Sout ...
between USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, and food. It aims to meet the needs of com ...
Zone 1 and Zone 6, but may survive in lower temperatures but has not been trialed.[
It prefers sandy, well drained soils.][
It is vigorous in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade (under ]Deciduous
In the fields of horticulture and Botany, the term ''deciduous'' () means "falling off at maturity" and "tending to fall off", in reference to trees and shrubs that seasonally shed leaves, usually in the autumn; to the shedding of petals, aft ...
trees), but with reduced flower growth.[
It is unique in its growth habit as a rhizomous iris, as it is dormant and leafless during most of the 'normal' growing season, then in late fall / autumn (in China), it begins to grow new leaves and is evergreen through the winter and produces flowers in the spring and goes dormant again.][ In colder regions (the US and UK), it acts like a bulb, dormant through to the spring before emerging and producing leaves and flowers (in a shorter period) before disappearing in summer.][
When the iris, has finished flowering, most of the plant withers away, apart from a growth point, which is similar in form to a bulb. It is possible that this is the origin of all bulbous irises.][ It is one of the few known plants with seasonal bulbs and seasonal rhizomes.][
It needs to be kept dry during winter (in the USA or UK), needing the protection of bulb frames, it only needs water during the growing season.][ It will not tolerate being waterlogged.][
Resembles a skinny spuria iris, evergreen during winter, but dormant during summer and starts growing again in mid-autumn.][
]
Propagation
It can be propagated by division or by seed growing, but it does not like being disturbed. So seed growing may be more successful.[
]
Hybrids and cultivars
No variation has been observed and no cultivars have been selected.[
]
Uses
It is cultivated in the western part of Hubei in China as a medicinal plant.[Peter Hanelt, (Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research) and W. Kilian (Editors)] The rhizome is ground into a paste and then can be applied to snakebites as a herbal remedy.[
]
Culture
It is thought in China, that the iris has the ability to keep snakes from entering the garden. It grows all winter, keeping snakes out, but then goes dormant in the spring, allowing the snakes back into the garden. In the autumn, the iris re-appears and can stop the snakes again.
References
Other sources
* Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 201.
* Waddick, J. W. & Zhao Yu-tang. 1992. Iris of China.
* Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994–. Flora of China (English edition).
External links
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10906412
anguifuga
Flora of Anhui
Flora of Guangxi
Flora of Hubei
Garden plants of Asia
Plants described in 1980