''Iris cycloglossa'' (sometimes known as the Afghani 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 ...

'', in the subgenus ''Scorpiris''. It comes from

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

Description

It has a small ovate blackish brown bulb, which also has tuberous roots, which are fragile. It has between 1-3 flowers per stem, that open in succession from the top down in May and June. They are large, (8–10 cm diam) fragrant, (with a clove-like scent), lavender blue flowers that have a white patch on the falls, it also has a yellow raised ridge. It also unlike other species, it has (4 cm long) upright standards. They have a similar look to Dutch Iris flowers. The stem is between 20–30 cm tall. It has also generally 6 shiny, grey-green leaves (that have a thin white margin) that are 1.5 cm wide and grow up to 30 cm long at flowering time. They grow along the stem of the plant. It has 5–6 cm long brown seeds that do not have an

aril An aril (pronounced ), also called an arillus, is a specialized outgrowth from a seed that partly or completely covers the seed. An arillode or false aril is sometimes distinguished: whereas an aril grows from the attachment point of the see ...

.British Iris Society (1997)

Taxonomy

It is sometimes known as the 'Afghani iris' in the US. The name 'cycloglossa' comes from the

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

words, 'tongues arranged in a circle'. It was first published in Biologiske Skrifter 10(3): 187 by (Norwegian botanist)

Per Erland Berg Wendelbo Per Erland Berg Wendelbo (19 September 1927 – 25 September 1981) was a Norwegian botanist. He was born in Oslo, a son of physician Per Kristian Lund Wendelbo and textile designer Sigrun Berg, and grandson of judge and politician Paal Berg. ...

in 1959. It was first illustrated in 'Flora Iranica' in 1975 by Rechinger. Iris cycloglossa is an accepted name by the RHS.

Cultivation

It prefers to grow in full sun. It is hardy to

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 5.

Propagation

Irises can generally 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.

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.David G. Spoerke and Susan C. Smolinske

Native

It is only found in a small region near

Herat Herāt (; Persian: ) is an oasis city and the third-largest city of Afghanistan. In 2020, it had an estimated population of 574,276, and serves as the capital of Herat Province, situated south of the Paropamisus Mountains (''Selseleh-ye Safēd ...

, at 1450-1700 above sea level. Compared to other species within the genus, it comes from areas subject to winter-spring floods so the bulb tolerates a lot of water and generally moister growing conditions than many other in the Scorpiris genus.

References

Other sources

*Walter Erhardt, Erich Götz, Nils Bödeker, Siegmund Seybold: Der große Zander. Eugen Ulmer KG, Stuttgart 2008, . (Ger.) *Christoper Brickell (Editor-in-chief): RHS A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Third edition. Dorling Kindersley, London 2003, .

External links

image of the flower
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2176332 cycloglossa Plants described in 1959 Flora of Afghanistan