''Iris histrioides'', the orchis iris, winter iris or Harput iris, is a species of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
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 ...
'', subgenus ''
Hermodactyloides
The subgenus ''Hermodactyloides'' of Iris includes all reticulate-bulbed bulbous irises. It was formerly named as a genus, ''Iridodictyum'' by Rodionenko in 1961. but it was not widely accepted and most botanists preferred 'Hermodactyloides'.
...
'' of the
family
Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...
Iridaceae. It is a
bulbous
In botany, a bulb is structurally a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs durin ...
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 wid ...
, that is native to Turkey, and has blue, scented flowers. 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 ...
regions, and has many known cultivars.
Description
It is similar in form to ''
Iris histrio
''Iris histrio'', the Syrian iris, is a species in the genus ''Iris'', it is classified in the subgenus ''Hermodactyloides'' and section ''Reticulatae''. It is a bulbous perennial from Central Asia: Kyrgyzstan, Israel, Lebanon, Syria and south ...
'', but with flowers a deeper shade of blue,
Donald Wyman Donald Wyman (1904 — 6 December 1993) was an American horticulturist, the head of horticulture at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum from 1935 to 1970.
He took a bachelor's degree in horticulture from Pennsylvania State College (1926) and a m ...
and shorter stem.
It has bulbs which are coated with a solid brown fibrous network.
It has leaves that grow up to high,
[ They appear after the flowers have bloomed or sometimes as they open.][
It has a very very short stem.][
The flower is about tall.][ or February.][
It has flowers that vary in shade from bright blue to violet.][Christopher Bricknell (Editor) ]
Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (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'.[ also they have a yellow ridge.][ The flowers can last up to a week on the plant, depending on the weather.][
]
Genetics
As most irises are diploid, 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 several times. Reported chromosome numbers have differed, given as 2n=17 by Randolph & Mitra in 1959, 2n=16 by Johnson & Mathew in 1989, and 2n=16+1B by Johnson & Brandham in 1997.][ or 2n=17.][
]
Taxonomy
It is sometimes known as the 'Orchis Iris', ‘winter iris’,[ after the Turkish city of ]Harput
Harpoot ( tr, Harput) or Kharberd ( hy, Խարբերդ, translit=Kharberd) is an ancient town located in the Elazığ Province of Turkey. It now forms a small district of the city of Elazığ. p. 1. In the late Ottoman period, it fell under the ...
.
It was first published as ''Iris reticulata'' var. ''histrioides'' and described by G.F.Wilson in Gardeners' Chronicles ser.3 Vol.9 n page 117 in 1891.[ In 1892, in the 'Journal of Horticulture' Vol.III Issue 24 on page 121, Samuel Arnott republished it as ''Iris histrioides''.
The specific epithet ''histrioides'', refers to resembling ''Iris histrio''.][
''Iris histrioides'' was verified by ]United States Department of Agriculture
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 ...
and the Agricultural Research Service on 3 April 2003, then updated on 1 December 2004.
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 Europe.[
]
Range
It is found in Asia minor
Anatolia, tr, Anadolu Yarımadası), and the Anatolian plateau, also known as Asia Minor, is a large peninsula in Western Asia and the westernmost protrusion of the Asian continent. It constitutes the major part of modern-day Turkey. The re ...
,[ or Turkey,]Amasya
Amasya () is a city in northern Turkey and is the capital of Amasya Province, in the Black Sea Region. It was called Amaseia or Amasia in antiquity."Amasya" in ''The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th ...
.[
]
Habitat
It commonly grows on the mountain slopes,[ within pine forests,][ at an altitude of above sea level.][
]
Conservation
It was on the 1997 IUCN Red List
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 biol ...
of Threatened Plants.
Cultivation
It is a hardy species,[ 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: 5 - 8. It is hardier than ''Iris histrio''.[ But be planted in well-drained soils, to protect from summer rains, which will rot the bulb.][
It is suitable for a rock or gravel garden or front of border. It likes rocky soils that dry out completely in summer.][
Once the bulb has been planted, it can take many years to reach flowering size. Also it has the habit of the main bulb splitting into many bulblets, that can take many years to reach flowering size.
Grows well outside but also good in the alpine house. This species is represented in cultivation by several cultivars.][
]
Cultivars known
* Iris ''Angel Tears' (blue with a honey mark on white ground with a small yellow vein),[
* Iris 'George' (purple),][
* Iris 'Katharine Hodgkin'(light blue standards, pale yellow falls, a 1960s hybrid of Iris histrioides and the primrose-yellow ''Iris winogradowii''),
* Iris 'Harmony' (light blue, a hybrid between I. histrioides and ]Iris reticulata
''Iris reticulata'', the netted iris or golden netted iris, is a species of flowering plant in the family (biology), family Iridaceae. It is native plant, native from eastern Turkey to Iran, but cultivated widely in temperateness, temperate regio ...
),[
* Iris 'Joyce' (deep blue falls and sky blue standards),
* Iris 'Lady Beatrice Stanley' (dark blue or pale-blue flowers and a mass of dark spotting on the falls),][
* Iris 'Major' (royal blue),][
* Iris 'Pauline' (light blue, a hybrid between I. histrioides and I. reticulata),][
Iris histrioides f. major GotBot 2016.jpg, ''Iris histrioides'' f. ''major''
Iris histrioides 'George' 1.jpg, Variety 'Gerorge'
Iris histrioides 'Katharine Hodgkin' 3.JPG, Variety 'Katharine Hodgkin'
]
Subspecies
* ''Iris histrioides var. sophenensis'' also, from Turkey is deep violet-blue with little veining or spotting, narrow petals and a yellow ridge.[Stuart Max Walters (Editor)]
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 ]
Uses
''Iris histrioides'' and ''Iris persica
''Iris persica'', the Persian iris, is a native plant of Iran. It is particularly known for its beauty and fragrance.
One of the first Juno irises to be described, this species has been in cultivation
for centuries and was listed by Philip Mill ...
'' L. have been used as food ingredients in Turkey.
References
Other sources
* Aldén, B., S. Ryman, & M. Hjertson Svensk Kulturväxtdatabas, SKUD (Swedish Cultivated and Utility Plants Database; online resource on www.skud.info). 2012 (Kulturvaxtdatabas)
* Davis, P. H., ed. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. 1965-1988 (F Turk)
* Mathew, B. The Iris. 1981 (Iris) 175-176.
External links
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q1746558
histrioides
Flora of European Turkey
Plants described in 1892