''Iris camillae '' is a species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Iris'' and in the section ''Oncocyclus''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Azerbaijan. It has narrow, falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves, medium-sized stem and large flowers, where the flower colour is very variable (especially in the wild), ranging from violet, purple, pale blue, and also yellow, and occasionally bi-colour forms are found. It has a yellow beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its environmental conditions of its natural habitat.

Description

It has a small, red rhizome, which is about 1 cm long, and medium thick.British Iris Society (1997) Underneath the rhizome are long secondary roots. The rhizome and roots make a creeping plant. It has narrow, falcate (sickle-shaped), leaves, that can grow up to between long. They begin to grow in late November and fade after summer, when the plant becomes dormant. It has a slender stem or

peduncle Peduncle may refer to: *Peduncle (botany), a stalk supporting an inflorescence, which is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed *Peduncle (anatomy), a stem, through which a mass of tissue is attached to a body **Peduncle (art ...

, that can grow up to between tall. The stem has 3 acute, carinate (ridged or keeled), lanceolate, (scarious) membranous,

spathes Mycenian cultural environment (ca. 1400 BC) Among the first archaeological sites discovered in Mount Olympus was the excavation site Spathes (Greek Σπάθες, swords). It is a necropolis from the Late Bronze Age. The oldest tombs are from the ...

(leaves of the flower bud). It also has long pedicels and a perianth tube which is longer than the ovary. The stems hold 1 terminal (top of stem) flower, blooming in spring, in April. The flower is similar in form to an '' Iris pallida'' flower. The flowers are in diameter, come in various colours, from violet, purple to pale blue, and also yellow, and occasionally bi-colour forms are found. Up to 16 colour forms or hybrids, have been found and noted. Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large

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), known as the '''standards'''. The falls are broadly obovate, deflexed (folded over) and slightly narrowed at apex, or slightly spoon-shaped. In purple shade forms, they have a violet, or dark purple signal patch. In the middle of the falls, is a row of short hairs called the beard''', which is yellow, The erect, standards are broader, or larger than the falls, They are also a similar colour to the falls, but they can be slightly paler than the falls. It has style branches that are recurved and shorter than the falls. After the iris has flowered, it produces a seed capsule, which has not yet been described.

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, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. In 1977, 47 species of the irises in the Oncocyclus section were analysed, and it was found to have a chromosome count of 2n=20.

Taxonomy

It is commonly known as ''Kamilla's iris''. It is sometimes called ''Iris camilla''. It has not been recorded what 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 ...

''camillae'' actually refers to/ It was first collected on 29 April 1928, by A. Kolakovsky in Transcaucasia, Azerbajdzhan. It was then first published and described by Alexander Alfonsovich Grossheim in ''Schedae ad Plantae orientales exsiccatae'' (Sched. Herb. Pl. Or. Exsicc.) Vol.15 on page 40 in 1928. The exsiccata ''Plantae orientales exsiccatae'' was coedited by Boris B. K. Schischkin in Tiflis. It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the

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 and then updated on 2 December 2004. It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life, and in the Catalogue of Life. ''Iris camillae'' is an accepted name by the RHS. Although, it has discussed by the British Iris Society and D. Kramb (of the Species Iris Group of North America), that it may have a hybrid origin between ''

Iris iberica ''Iris iberica'' is a plant species in the genus ''Iris'', it is also in the subgenus ''Iris'' and in the section ''Oncocyclus''. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus mountains of Armenia, eastern Georgia, and western Azerbaijan. It ...

'', '' Iris paradoxa'', and '' Iris acutiloba'', but this has not yet been proved.

Distribution and habitat

It 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 Asia.

Range

It is endemic, to the Transcaucasian region, within the country of Azerbaijan, in the

districts A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

Kazakh Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kazakhstan *Kazakhs, an ethnic group *Kazakh language *The Kazakh Khanate * Kazakh cuisine * Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan *Qazax, Azerbaijan *Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...

, Tauz and Khokali. Including around Lake Kazan-Gel, or Qazangöl Lake in the Caucasus, on the river Kura.

Habitat

It grows on the rocky, or stony, dry steppes. They can be found at an altitude of above sea level.

Conservation

''Iris camillae'' is a threatened wild plant, and was in 1989 listed in the

Red Data Book The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List of Threatened Species, also known as the IUCN Red List or Red Data Book, founded in 1964, is the world's most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of biologi ...

of Azerbaijan, which helps with its protection. It was re-assessed by the

IUCN The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN; officially International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) is an international organization working in the field of nature conservation and sustainable use of natu ...

(International Union for Conservation of Nature) on 11 October 2006, as vulnerable, as it is only known 4 sites, with a limited population range of about 50 km2. It is threatened due to over-collection of the flowers, for ornamental uses.

Cultivation

It is not hardy enough, to be grown outdoors, it should be grown in a bulb frame or

greenhouse A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of Transparent ceramics, transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic condit ...

. It is recommended to be planted late in Autumn, with

dolomite Dolomite may refer to: *Dolomite (mineral), a carbonate mineral *Dolomite (rock), also known as dolostone, a sedimentary carbonate rock *Dolomite, Alabama, United States, an unincorporated community *Dolomite, California, United States, an unincor ...

and limestone chippings within the soil mix. It also needs feeding when in growth. It needs to be grown in full sun. It was tested for growth in Leningrad Botanic Garden, in Russia. A herbarium specimen is found within

Kew Royal Botanic Gardens Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. An internationally important botanical research and education institution, it employs 1,100 ...

, and plants are grown in the Botanical Garden of the

Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) ( az, Azərbaycan Milli Elmlər Akademiyası (AMEA)), located in Baku, is the main state research organization and the primary body that conducts research and coordinates activities in the fields of ...

Propagation

Irises can generally be propagated by division, or by seed growing. Irises generally require a period of cold, then a period of warmth and heat, also they need some moisture. Some seeds need stratification, (the cold treatment), which can be carried out indoors or outdoors. Seedlings are generally potted on (or transplanted) when they have 3 leaves.

Toxicity

Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also, handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.David G Spoerke and Susan C. Smolinske

References

Sources

* Czerepanov, S. K. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR). 1995 (L USSR) * Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. Flora SSSR. 1934–1964 (F USSR) * Mathew, B. The Iris. 1981 (Iris) 48. * Takhtajan, A.L. (ed.) 2006 Conspectus Florae Caucasi Vol.2 1–466. Editio Universitatis Petropolitanae.

External links

Russian website with several images of the iris

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15569800 camillae Plants described in 1928 Garden plants Flora of Azerbaijan Flora of the Caucasus