''Iris cristata'' (also known as dwarf crested iris and crested iris) is a species in the genus ''

Iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional enti ...

'', it is also in the subgenus of '' Limniris''. It is a

rhizomatous In botany and dendrology, a rhizome (; , ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...

perennial plant 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 ...

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to the eastern United States. It has pale lavender flowers with a white patch and orange or yellow crest. It is a close relative to ''

Iris lacustris ''Iris lacustris'', the dwarf lake iris, is a plant species in the genus ''Iris'', subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the section ''Lophiris'' (crested irises). It is a rhizomatous, beardless perennial plant, native to the Great Lakes region of easte ...

'' (Dwarf lake iris), the only other crested iris native to North America. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in

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 ...

regions.

Description

It has slender, greenish,British Iris Society (1997) or whitish yellow rhizomes. They are shallow rooted. They spread by sending out long

stolon In biology, stolons (from Latin '' stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as runners, are horizontal connections between organisms. They may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton; typically, animal stolons are external s ...

s from multiple branches.Edwin B. Smith They can have up to 2–8 cord-like branches. The branches can be long and 1-2mm wide. Under the rhizomes are fleshy-like roots. The branches are brown. The creeping habit can create large masses of plants over time.Richard Lynch Nick Romanowski Holly Kerr Forsyth (Editor) It has 6–8 basal leaves, which are divided onto 2–3 proximal (close to centre) leaves and 4–5 distal (away from centre) leaves. The proximal leaves are falcate (sickle-shaped), light brown with a darker brown central mid-rib, and the distal leaves are ensiform (sword-like),John Darby (1841) green or yellowish green, with a few visible veins. They can grow up to between long and 1–2.5 cm wide. They elongate after flowering, growing up to long. The elongated leaves hide any seed pods produced later. It has short stems, (almost stemless), growing up to between tall. The

pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...

or stem, is the same length to the ovary. It has an overall height with stem and flower reaching tall.John Greenlee It has 2–3 cauline (on the stem),

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), which are green, falcate (sickle-shaped) slightly inflated, unequal (outer leaves are shorter than the inner leaves) and long. The spathes bear 1 or 2 flowers, in Spring, or early Summer,James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) between April to May.John Kirkegaard They only flower for a short time. The fragrant, flowers are in diameter, and come in shades of blue, from lavender, to lilac, to pale blue, and purple. There are occasionally white forms, and very rarely pink forms. 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 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 spreading falls are long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide. They have a central white signal patch, which is surrounded by a purple (or dark blue,) ring, with 3 parallel orange or yellow crests (or ridges). The fall tapers towards the claw (close to the stem). The standards are erect, oblanceolate and long and 1–2 cm wide (narrower and shorter than the falls). It has a filiform (thread-like), perianth tube that is long. This large flower tube lifts the flower above ground level. It has a triangular, 0.6–1 cm long ovary, an oblong stigma (half the size of the falls,) and 1.5 cm long, triangular crested, style branch. After the iris has flowered, it produces an ovoid seed capsule. The capsule is 1–2 cm long, with ridged angles and triangular in cross-section. Inside the capsule, are ellipsoid, yellowish-brown seeds that are 3.2–3.5 mm across and have a white appendage that spirally wraps around the seed.

Biochemistry

In 2000, a study was carried out on the genetic diversity of ''Iris cristata'' and ''Iris lacustris''. It was found that ''Iris cristata'', is a widespread species of unglaciated regions of eastern North America, it would have a wide genetic diversity similar to other known widespread plant species, compared to the threatened ''Iris lacustris'', which only occupies glaciated habitats on Great Lakes shorelines, (therefore smaller range) would display little genetic variation. In 2013, a study was carried out on chromosomal characters of various iris species. 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. It has been counted twice, 2n=24 (Longley, 1928) and 32 (Simonet, 1934).
It is normally published as 2n=32.

Taxonomy

It is pronounced as (Iris) EYE-ris (cristata) kris-TAH-tah. It has common names of ''dwarf crested iris'', or ''crested iris'', and ''lady's calamus''. It is known as ''krypiris'' in

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

. 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 ...

''cristata'' is derived from 'crista' meaning crested or with tassel-like tips. This refers to the golden yellow crest on the sepal of the iris. In the 1750s, the American

Quaker Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

botanist,

John Bartram John Bartram (March 23, 1699 – September 22, 1777) was an American botanist, horticulturist, and explorer, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for most of his career. Swedish botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus said he was the "greatest na ...

(1699–1777) introduced Iris ''crisatata'' to England via his correspondence friend, Mr Peter Collinson. He had sent several specimen plants across the Atlantic to him. It has been in European culture in since 1766. It was first published and described by

William Aiton William Aiton (17312 February 1793) was a Scotland, Scottish botanist. Aiton was born near Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Phi ...

Hortus Kewensis ''Hortus Kewensis, or a Catalogue of the Plants Cultivated in the Royal Botanic Garden at Kew'' by William Aiton was a 1789 catalogue of all the plant species then in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew is ...

(Hort. Kew.) Volume 1, page70 in 1789. It was later published in Botanical Magazine (t412) in 1798, then in 'Addisonia' Volume 9, Issue 4 on page 63 in December 1924 with a coloured illustration, as well as in the 'Journal of the RHS' Volume 88 in 1963. It was verified by

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, ...

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 11 April 2000, then updated on 1 December 2004. ''Iris cristata'' is an accepted name by the RHS.

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 regions of United States of America.

Range

It is found in North eastern U.S.A., within the states of

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

, and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...

. In North-Central U.S.A., within the states of

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

, and

Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...

. In South eastern U.S.A., within the states of

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the South Central United States. It is bordered by Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, and Texas and Oklahoma to the west. Its name is from the Osage ...

District of Columbia ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

,--> It is found within the

Ouachita mountains The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...

Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range (; also spelled Alleghany or Allegany), informally the Alleghenies, is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada and posed a significant barrier to land travel in less devel ...

, Appalachian and

Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and the extreme southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover a significant portio ...

. The range is south of where the

Wisconsinan The Wisconsin Glacial Episode, also called the Wisconsin glaciation, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleated in the northern North American Cor ...

glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

spread about 11,000 years ago.

Habitat

It grows in

calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcareous'' is used as an adje ...

soils, in

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

woodlands (or forests), on rocky hillsides, in

ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. 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 ...

to 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 3 and Zone 9,Karan Davis Cutler and is hardy to European Zone H2. Meaning it is hardy down to −20 °C. It prefers to grow in well-drained soils, that are neutral or slightly acidic (pH level of 6.1 to 6.5). It also prefers medium to high fertile soils containing

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

. Although, it will tolerate loamy soils. It can tolerate shade or full sun, but prefers cool, semi-shaded positions. It has average to above average water needs during the growing season. It becomes dormant in winter. It can be grown in a mixed flower border, or rock garden. It also can be

naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the in ...

, within a woodland garden, creating ground-cover. It can also be grown on peat banks, with other acidic loving plants, including

camellias ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 described species, with some controversy ...

and

azaleas Azaleas are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections ''Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Octob ...

. It is normally recommended to add peat (or leaf-mould) and sharp sand (or grit) when planting new plants. The roots should be planted (during Spring or Summer or Autumn), so that the top of the rhizome is about 3–5 cm below the soil line. Once planted, they can be surrounded with leaf mulch, to help with moisture retention. They can suffer from damage by snails and slugs. They also can suffer damage from deer, but the plants can survive the nibbling, and flowers can also be eaten. Other minor threats include;

Iris borer Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye * Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants *Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

, verbena bud moth, whiteflies, iris weevil, thrips, aphids, and nematodes. Bacterial leaf blight and soft rot, crown rot, rhizome rot, leaf spot, rust, viruses, and scorch. Grown in ideal conditions, the plants can live for up to 10 years. Smaller, poorer and paler forms were originally mistakenly thought to be ''Iris lacustris''. They can be found in plenty of reputable nurseries in the US, but it is rarely offered on sale, in Europe.

Propagation

It can be propagated by

division Division or divider may refer to: Mathematics *Division (mathematics), the inverse of multiplication *Division algorithm, a method for computing the result of mathematical division Military *Division (military), a formation typically consisting ...

or by seed growing. Since, the plant needs to be frequently divided every 3 to 4 years, to keep the plant healthy and vigorous. It is easier and more reliable to propagate via division. This is best done in the early fall (or Autumn), when the leaves have turned yellow. The rhizome should be split into hand-sized clumps to allow for plenty of new growth to occur. The new plants should be kept moist until established, they also can be mulched (with a maximum of 4 inches deep) to help with water retention. If propagating by seed. Seeds are collected from the ripe brown capsules after flowering. They should be sown on acid or slightly acidic soil. The process of seedling to flowering plant, can take up to 3 years to mature and flower.

Hybrids and cultivars

Iris cristata 'Eco Bluebird' (3455977784)

''Iris cristata'' has many different cultivars. Including; Iris cristata 'Alba' (a white flowering form), 'Abbey's Violet', 'Azure', 'Baby Blue', 'Caerulea' (deep blue blooms), 'Celestial Gem', 'Crested Fairy', 'Crested Gem', 'Crested Ivory', 'Crest Of Hope', 'Cristata Alba', 'Cristata Major', 'McDonald', 'Cumberland Gap', 'Dash It All', 'Dick Butler', ‘Echo Ruffles’ (large purple blooms), 'Eco Little Bluebird', 'Eco Orchid Giant', 'Eco Purple Pomp', 'Eco Royal Ruffles', 'Eco White Angel', 'Edgar Anderson', 'Eyed Form', 'Gold Crest', 'Little Jay', 'Major', 'Millard', 'Navy Blue Gem', 'Pearl White', 'Pink', 'Powder Blue Giant', 'Shenandoah Sky',(pale blue blooms) 'Scio County', 'Skylands', 'Stormy Sky', 'Summer Sky' (deep blue blooms), 'Summer Storm', 'Tennessee White',(a white form)'Vein Mountain', 'Whisper' and 'White Pearl'.

Toxicity

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

Dermatitis Dermatitis is inflammation of the skin, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened. The area of skin involved can v ...

Uses

It has been listed as a medicinal plant. It has been used by the

Cherokee The Cherokee (; chr, ᎠᏂᏴᏫᏯᎢ, translit=Aniyvwiyaʔi or Anigiduwagi, or chr, ᏣᎳᎩ, links=no, translit=Tsalagi) are one of the indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, t ...

North American Indians in herbal medicines. A decoction of the pulverized root was used as salve for ulcers. An

infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...

(tea) taken for liver. Also a decoction of the root was used to treat a "yellowish urine." The root was also used as an ingredient in a cream applied to skin ulcers. The root has also been used as a

spice A spice is a seed, fruit, root, bark, or other plant substance primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of plants used for flavoring or as a garnish. Spices a ...

. In the 19th Century, hunters in Virginia used the root, as a thirst aid. It is initially sweet and then the taste of the root becomes pungently acrid. In its native region, it has been marked as a commercially available pollinator plant that attracts bees.

References

Other sources

*Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. 2009. Våra kulturväxters namn – ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin). *Browne, E. T. & R. Athey. 1992. Vascular plants of Kentucky: an annotated checklist. *Deam, C. C. 1940. Flora of Indiana. *Duncan, W. H. & J. T. Kartesz. 1981. Vascular flora of Georgia: an annotated checklist. *FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. ists as I. cristata Sol. ex Aiton *Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2. *Jones, G. N. & G. D. Fuller. 1955. Vascular plants of Illinois. *Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 71. *Mohlenbrock, R. H. & D. M. Ladd. 1978. Distribution of Illinois vascular plants. *Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967–. The vascular flora of Ohio. *Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. *Rickett. 1967. Wild flowers of the United States 2 (Plate 22) *Rhoads, A. F. & T. A. Block. 2000. The plants of Pennsylvania. An illustrated manual. *Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2. *Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania. *Yatskievych, G. 1999–. Steyermark's Flora of Missouri, revised edition.

External links

* www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNdi0sz-R-8 A detailed look at one year in the life of Dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata) {{Taxonbar, from=Q6070337 cristata Endemic flora of the United States Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Plants described in 1789 Garden plants of North America Plants used in traditional Native American medicine