Iris dichotoma (also known as Vesper 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 ent ...
'' and is also in the subgenus of
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 ent ...
. It was once formerly known as ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' as it was placed in a genus of its own before
DNA testing resulted in it returning to the genus ''Iris''. It is native to the forests and grasslands of
Siberia
Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive geographical region, constituting all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has been a part of ...
, China, Mongolia and Korea. It has long greyish green leaves, long branched stems carrying many flowers in summer or late summer. In shades of violet, mauve to purple, lavender, pale blue, white or pink. They appear in the late afternoon at the time of
Vespers
Vespers is a service of evening prayer, one of the canonical hours in Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, Catholic Church, Catholic (both Latin liturgical rites, Latin and Eastern Catholic Churches, Eastern), Lutheranism, Lutheran, and Anglican ...
(a service of evening prayer).
Description
''Iris dichotoma'' grows from a small fibrous rhizome,
that is stout and very short.
Underneath the rhizome, it has thick and swollen roots.
It has numerous leaves,
that are typical iris-looking leaves,
that are similar in form to a bearded iris,
except fan shaped.
They are also similar to a
Vanda orchid's leaves.
[
They grow from the base of rhizome (i.e. basal) and are sword-shaped,] greyish green and slightly curved.[ The leaves have no midvein and can grow between long and wide.][
It has dichotomously,][ or multi-branched stems,]Diana Beresford-Kroeger
Diana Bernadette Beresford-Kroeger (born July 25, 1944) is an Irish botanist, medical biochemist, polymath, and author, who was born in Islington, England and resides near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
She is known for her ability to bring an unde ...
which can grow up to between tall. The tall stems keep the flowers much higher than the foliage of the leaves, and they have 4 or 5 leafy spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which are green, lanceolate
The following is a list of terms which are used to describe leaf morphology in the description and taxonomy of plants. Leaves may be simple (a single leaf blade or lamina) or compound (with several leaflets). The edge of the leaf may be regular o ...
(spear-like) shaped and long.[
It blooms in the US between May and midsummer.] Elsewhere, it begins to bloom in summer, or late summer,[ between July and early August.]
It unusually blooms in the late afternoon,[ at approx. 3 o'clock,][ or 4 o’clock.][ This occurs at the time of hearing ‘’Vespers’’, hence its common name, of ‘Vespers Iris’.] They fully open out in just a couple of minutes,[ but only last one day,] as they twist into tight little spirals after dark and then drop from the stem.[ Withered flowers are never normally seen on the stems.][
Each stem can hold between 3–6 flowers.][ This means, a well established plant can have nearly hundreds of flowers,][ the display of flowers can last for up to 3 – 4 weeks.][ The flowers are fragrant.][ As the flowers (and nectar) are extremely attractive to ]hummingbirds
Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics arou ...
and honeybees
A honey bee (also spelled honeybee) is a eusocial flying insect within the genus ''Apis'' of the bee clade, all native to Afro-Eurasia. After bees spread naturally throughout Africa and Eurasia, humans became responsible for the current cosmo ...
, cross-pollination can take place and then later seeds can be formed.[
Unfortunately, the flowers are small,][ at about long.]
They come in various shades from violet, mauve to purple,[ purple,] lavender,[ pale blue,] white,[ (rarely]), cream,[ or pink.]
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
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 outer petals are broadly oblanceolate shaped (much longer than wide and with the widest portion near the tip), long and about 1 cm wide. The ‘claw’ (section closest to the centre) is striped,[ or reticulated (marked with a grid),] with yellowish brown and the limb (the end part) has darker spots on a central, pale patch.[ The patch can have a whitish colour tinged with green and the spots can be lilac-mauve,][ brown-purple,] or red-purple.[ The tips of the falls are free from any spots or markings.][ The plain inner petals are narrowly obovate shaped (teardrop-like), long and 6–8 mm wide, with a retuse apex (rounded end with a depression).][
It has very distinct arms on the flower style,] which are long, with purplish brown markings.[
Its perianth tube is extremely short,][ or missing.][ It has ]stamens
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 filame ...
that are long and a green ovary that is 1 cm long.[
After it has flowered, the plant will produce a seed capsule and seeds,][ between August and September.][
The seed capsule is cylindric in shape, yellowish-green and long and wide.][ Inside, it has elongated,][ or elliptic shaped,][ and dark brown,][ or brown coloured seeds,][ that have small wings.][
As compared to ''Iris domestica'' and related hybrids which have large round black seeds.][
]
Genetics
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 a chromosome count of 2n=32.][ It was counted three times;
* Doronkin, V. M. & A. A. Krasnikov. 1984. "Cytotaxonomic studies in some Siberian species of the genus Iris (Iridaceae)". Bot. Zhurn. SSSR 65 (5): 683–685. (In Russian).
* Sha, W., L. h. Wang, X. j. Yang, X. l. Qi, G. h. Ma & D. y. Zhao. 1995. "Chromosome numbers of 20 species from north-east China". J. Wuhan Bot. Res. 32 (2): 180–182.
* Yan, G. x., S. z. Zheng, F. h. Xue, J. f. Yun, L. y. Wang & X. q. Fu. 1995. "The chromosome numbers of 35 forage species and their geographical distribution". Grassl. China 1995 (1): 16–20.]
Biochemistry
The rhizome of ''Iris dichotoma'' Pall., contains isoflavonoids as the main bioactive compound
A bioactive compound is a compound that has an effect on a living organism, tissue or cell, usually demonstrated by basic research in vitro or in vivo in the laboratory. While dietary nutrients are essential to life, bioactive compounds have not ...
.
The chloroplast
A chloroplast () is a type of membrane-bound organelle known as a plastid that conducts photosynthesis mostly in plant and algal cells. The photosynthetic pigment chlorophyll captures the energy from sunlight, converts it, and stores it in ...
of ''I. dichotoma'' phylogeography
Phylogeography is the study of the historical processes that may be responsible for the past to present geographic distributions of genealogical lineages. This is accomplished by considering the geographic distribution of individuals in light of ge ...
(geography and genetics) in Asia has been studied.
Taxonomy
''Iris dichotoma'' is pronounced as ''EYE-ris dy-KAW-toh-muh''.[
It is written as 野鸢尾 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 ''ye yuan wei''.[
It has common name of 'Vesper Iris' due to the unusual function of the plant, that the blooms open up at around 4:00 pm each day, just in time for ''Vespers''.]
It is also thought to be commonly known as 'Autumn iris' and 'Blue curls' in the UK. Although ''Trichostema dichotomum
''Trichostema dichotomum'', commonly known as forked bluecurls, is a flowering plant in the mint family (Lamiaceae). The plant is found in the Midwestern and Eastern United States, Eastern Canada, and the Bahamas.
Description
''Trichostema dic ...
'' is normally commonly called 'Blue curls'.
‘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 ...
''dichotoma '' means divided into two equal portions, equal-branched or split into two, or forked.
''Iris dichotoma'' was first published and described by Peter Simon Pallas
Peter Simon Pallas Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE (22 September 1741 – 8 September 1811) was a Prussian zoologist and botanist who worked in Russia between 1767 and 1810.
Life and work
Peter Simon Pallas was born in Berlin, the son ...
in 'Reise Russ. Reich.' (Reise durch Verschiedene Provinzen des Russischen Reichs.) Vol.3 on page 712 in 1776.
Then in 1972, using morphological studies botanist Lee Wayne Lenz
Lee may refer to:
Name
Given name
* Lee (given name), a given name in English
Surname
* Chinese surnames romanized as Li or Lee:
** Li (surname 李) or Lee (Hanzi ), a common Chinese surname
** Li (surname 利) or Lee (Hanzi ), a Chinese s ...
re-classified the species as a separate species and renamed it ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' which he then published in Aliso Vol.7 on page 403. Its lack of perianth tube was the feature that originally separated it from other iris species.[
Then in 1998, Goldblatt in (Klaus Kubitzki (ed.)) 'The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants' Vol.3 on page 326, also noted that it was a ]monospecific
In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispec ...
genus between Iris and Belamcamda.[
Then in 2001, based on DNA analysis, Pardanthopsis was then merged back into the genus Iris, and the name ''Iris dichotoma'' Pall. was used again.][ Occasionally the former name, ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' is still used.][
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, ...
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 25 October 2005, as ''Iris dichotoma'', and it was last-listed in the RHS Plant Finder in 2017.[
]
Distribution and habitat
''I. dichotoma'' is native 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 ...
regions of Asia.[
]
Range
It is found in Siberia, near Lake Baikal
Lake Baikal (, russian: Oзеро Байкал, Ozero Baykal ); mn, Байгал нуур, Baigal nuur) is a rift lake in Russia. It is situated in southern Siberia, between the federal subjects of Irkutsk Oblast to the northwest and the Repu ...
, and the Dahuria region,[ as well as near the Russian Federation city of Chita,][ and also in the Russian Federation state of ]Amur
The Amur (russian: река́ Аму́р, ), or Heilong Jiang (, "Black Dragon River", ), is the world's List of longest rivers, tenth longest river, forming the border between the Russian Far East and Northeast China, Northeastern China (Inne ...
.[
It is also found in Mongolia,] Korea,[ and in China.] Within the Chinese states of 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 ...
, Gansu, Hebei
Hebei or , (; alternately Hopeh) is a northern province of China. Hebei is China's sixth most populous province, with over 75 million people. Shijiazhuang is the capital city. The province is 96% Han Chinese, 3% Manchu, 0.8% Hui, an ...
, Heilongjiang, Henan
Henan (; or ; ; alternatively Honan) is a landlocked province of China, in the central part of the country. Henan is often referred to as Zhongyuan or Zhongzhou (), which literally means "central plain" or "midland", although the name is al ...
, Hubei, Hunan
Hunan (, ; ) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the South Central China region. Located in the middle reaches of the Yangtze watershed, it borders the province-level divisions of Hubei to the north, Jiangxi to ...
, Jiangxi, Jilin
Jilin (; alternately romanized as Kirin or Chilin) is one of the three provinces of Northeast China. Its capital and largest city is Changchun. Jilin borders North Korea (Rasŏn, North Hamgyong, Ryanggang and Chagang) and Russia (Prim ...
, Liaoning, Nei Mongol
Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Its border includes most of the length of China's border with the country of Mongolia. Inner Mongolia also accounts for a ...
, Ningxia, Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichu ...
, Shandong, Shanxi
Shanxi (; ; formerly romanised as Shansi) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China and is part of the North China region. The capital and largest city of the province is Taiyuan, while its next most populated prefecture-lev ...
and Yunnan
Yunnan , () is a landlocked Provinces of China, province in Southwest China, the southwest of the People's Republic of China. The province spans approximately and has a population of 48.3 million (as of 2018). The capital of the province is ...
.[
]
Habitat
"Iris dichotoma" grows in ''quercus
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 '' ...
'' (Oak) forests, sandy grasslands, dry sunny areas,[ which have moist fertile soils.][ It can be found at an altitude of above sea level.][
]
Cultivation
''Iris dichotoma'' is difficult to cultivate and they are not recommended for amateurs, thought more as a collector's plant.[ They are often treated as a ]biennial
Biennial means (an event) lasting for two years or occurring every two years. The related term biennium is used in reference to a period of two years.
In particular, it can refer to:
* Biennial plant, a plant which blooms in its second year and th ...
by many gardeners as it can be quite short lived, especially the hybrids.[
It is hardy 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 6,[ and Zone 10.][ Meaning it can withstand temperatures down to −23.3 °C (−10 °F),][ or −20 °C.][ It requires no winter protection (in Pittsburgh).][
It prefers to grow in ]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 ...
rich garden soil,[ which is well drained.][ It can tolerate neutral or acidic soils,][ pH levels between 6.5 and 7.5.][
It prefers positions in full sun.][ But it needs to be kept well watered and fertilized, especially to get flowers in the first summer.][ It is drought tolerant once established,][ but prefers regular watering.][
Within the garden, it can be combined in July with trumpet lilies ('' Lilium brownii'', '']Lilium henryi
''Lilium henryi'' (), sometimes called tiger lily or Henry's lily, is a native lily of the mountains of central China (Provinces of Guizhou, Hubei, Jiangxi). The flowers are orange, spotted black, and unscented. The petals are recurving (bent ba ...
'', or ''Lilium regale
''Lilium regale'', called the regal lily, royal lily, king's lily, or, in New Zealand, the Christmas lily, is a species of flowering plant in the lily family Liliaceae, with trumpet-shaped flowers. It is native to the western part of Sichuan Pro ...
'') or '' Galtonia candicans'' in a white garden.[ It could also be paired with other evening bloomers like ]Cestrum
''Cestrum'' is a genus of — depending on authority — 150-250 species of flowering plants in the family Solanaceae. They are native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the Americas, from the southernmost United States (Florida, Texas: day ...
and Jasminum
Jasmine ( taxonomic name: ''Jasminum''; , ) is a genus of shrubs and vines in the olive family (Oleaceae). It contains around 200 species native to tropical and warm temperate regions of Eurasia, Africa, and Oceania. Jasmines are widely cultiva ...
in a night garden or alternatively morning flowering Hemerocallis
A daylily or day lily is a flowering plant in the genus ''Hemerocallis'' , a member of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. Despite the common name, it is not in fact a lily. Gardening enthusiasts and horticulturists have long ...
(day lilies) to create your own lauds and vespers section in your garden.
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.][ The fibrous root system of the iris enables the plant to be separated simply and then the young plants to be transplanted.][
]
Seeds
After allowing the seed pods to dry on plant, break open capsules to collect seeds.[
Seeds are best sown in the spring, ]germination
Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, fer ...
is normally easy. Known germination tip; soak the seeds. Place in warm water until seeds swell, usually between 24 and 48 hours. Then remove floaters (these will not germinate) and the water can be re-used for soaking.[ Sown at temperatures at about 20 °C. Seed can germinate within 3 months.][ Alternate method involves cold storage (or ]vernalization
Vernalization (from Latin ''vernus'', "of the spring") is the induction of a plant's flowering process by exposure to the prolonged cold of winter, or by an artificial equivalent. After vernalization, plants have acquired the ability to flower, ...
). Seed can be sown in pots or flat trays and then refrigerate for 4 to 6 weeks. After coming out of cold storage, seeds should germinate in a week or two. After the threat of frost has passed, it is safe to transplant seedlings outdoors.[
The seedlings dislike ]transplanting
In agriculture and gardening, transplanting or replanting is the technique of moving a plant from one location to another. Most often this takes the form of starting a plant from seed in optimal conditions, such as in a greenhouse or protected Pl ...
when they get too big. The plant may flower the first year, if started very early (February–March) and planted out after the last frosts of the year.
Cultivars
Known cultivars: 'Dichotoma Alba', 'Shilka'.
Known crosses (''Iris dichotoma'' and other iris): 'Ai Hua', 'Auroral Sail, 'Azure Pinwheel, 'Blazing Sunflower', Bountiful Blush', 'Bright Smile'. 'Butterfly Magic', 'Candy Lilies', 'Cherry Pie', 'Chic Leopard', 'Chocolate Knight', 'Colorful Stelleroid', 'Dancing Woman', 'Daybreak Sail', 'Dazzler Series', 'Fiery Rhapsody, 'Fire Leaf', 'Happy Yanyan', 'Heart Of Darkness', 'Jungle Colors', 'Kiba Giants' 'Laced Lavender', 'Lost Bar', 'Mandarin Lady', 'Moonlit Hairpin', 'Orange Diamond', 'Pastel Parfait', 'Pink Leopard', 'Romantic Celebration', 'Rosy Brocade', 'Sangria', 'Seiya Hui', 'Sharp Shine', 'Sheng Ni', 'Shining Butterfly', 'Slight Smile', 'Sparkling Fire', 'Star Eyes', 'Spooky World', 'Spotted Dog Hui', 'Starlit Shell', 'Starry Bodhi', 'Summer Candy', 'Summer Snow', 'Sunset Tones'. 'Sweet Princess' and 'Wedding Dress'.
Candy Lily
There is also an intergeneric hybrid
In biology, a hybrid is the offspring resulting from combining the qualities of two organisms of different breeds, varieties, species or genera through sexual reproduction. Hybrids are not always intermediates between their parents (such as in ...
between ''Belamcanda chinensis'' (aka ''Iris domestica'') and ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' (aka ''Iris dichotoma''),[ called the ''Candy Lily'',] which is also called "x Pardancanda norrisii". The 'x' in front of the name is to show that it is a man-made primary hybrid between two different genera.[
In 1967, a plant breeder from ]Kentucky
Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...
, Samuel Norris crossed ''I. dichotoma'' with ''Iris domestica'', the hybrid obtained was named ''Pardancanda norrisii''. When the name of ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' was returned to the iris genus. The scientific name of the Candy Lily also had to be renamed, the name is now ''Iris x norrisii''.
It can reach from 60 to 90 cm tall.
It like ''I. dichotoma'' has flowers that blooms last for one day but can keep coming for weeks.
It blooms in the summer and has saucer shaped flowers.[ They have seedpods between August and October that split to show the black seeds, similar to the blackberry lily (or ''B. chinensis'').
The Candy Lily has its own cultivars as well; ''Pardancanda'' 'Sangria' is a purple strain with deep purple and golden yellow patterned petals,][ and ''Kiba giants'', with flowers that are variable between yellow, red and violet.]
Uses
''Iris dichotoma'', is used in Chinese herbal medicine, and has been used to treat several disorders such as inflammation
Inflammation (from la, wikt:en:inflammatio#Latin, inflammatio) is part of the complex biological response of body tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or Irritation, irritants, and is a protective response involving im ...
, throat disorders, asthma
Asthma is a long-term inflammatory disease of the airways of the lungs. It is characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and easily triggered bronchospasms. Symptoms include episodes of wheezing, cou ...
and coughs.
Toxicity
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (especially the rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested they can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction.[
]
References
Other sources
* Czerepanov, S. K. 1995. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR) Cambridge University Press. Note: = ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' (Pall.) L. W. Lenz
* Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR.
* Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 184. Note: = ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' (Pall.) L. W. Lenz
* Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994–. Flora of China (English edition).
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15246518
dichotoma
Plants described in 1972
Flora of China
Flora of Mongolia
Flora of Korea
Flora of Siberia