''Iris subdichotoma'' is a plant 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 ''
Limniris'' and in the section ''Lophiris'' (crested irises). 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
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 ...
, from
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa people, ...
and
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
, with pale blue, blue-purple, purple, violet or white 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 t ...
regions.
Description
It has short rhizome with a few branches.
Below is thick roots.
On top of the rhizomes are the brown, fibrous remains of last seasons leaves, surrounding the new leaves.
[
It has grey-green, sword-shaped and slightly curved leaves.][ They grow up to long and 1–2 cm wide.][ They do not have any mid-veins.][
The leaves are generally short than the flower stems.][
The plant is very similar in form to '']Iris dichotoma
Iris dichotoma (also known as Vesper iris) is a species in the genus ''Iris'' and is also in the subgenus of Iris. It was once formerly known as ''Pardanthopsis dichotoma'' as it was placed in a genus of its own before DNA testing resulted in i ...
'' but only smaller.[
The stems have 3–5 green, ]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 have membranous margins.[
They are long and 7–8 mm wide.][
The ]bract
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 are similar in size to ''Iris dichotoma''.[
The stems (and branches) hold between two and four flowers, between June and August.][ But normally in June.][
Leading from the spathes are stiff, ]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
...
s (or peduncles), that are between long.[
The flowers are in diameter,][ and come in shades of pale blue,][ blue-purple,][ purple,][ or violet.][
Later, a white flowering form was found and then was published and named as ''Iris subdichotoma f. alba'' Y. G. Shen, in 'Acta Bot. Yunnan' Vol.26 Issue5 page492 in 2004).][ Although this is now classified as a synonym of ''Iris subdichotoma''.][
It has three pairs of petals, three 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 three 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 falls are oblanceolate, and 4 cm long and long.[ The falls have a central yellow crest.][ The standards are narrow and oblanceolate, and 3 cm long and 4 mm wide.][
It has a 2 cm long perianth tube, 2.2 cm long stamens, 1.5 long and 0.5 cm wide, fusiform (spindle-shaped) ovary and 3 cm long style branches.][ The styles branches have narrowly triangular lobes.][ It also has filaments that are longer than the anthers.][
After the iris has flowered, it produces a cylindric seed capsule,][ between July and September, that is long and 1 cm wide.][ It has six longitudinal ribs.][ The capsule when ripe, splits a third of the way down, releasing the seeds.][
The seeds are 7.5–8.5 mm wide, maroon-brown and have a small wings.][
]
Genetics
In 2006, 13 species of Iris, including ''Iris subdichotoma'', ''Iris delavayi'' and ''Iris cuniculiformis'' were studied for a cytological
Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...
analysis of the chromosome
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 ...
counts.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.[
Iris subdichotoma has a count of 2n=42.][
]
Taxonomy
It has the common name of 'Zhongdian iris'.Shangri-La City
Shangri-La (, Tibetan: Gyalthang) is a county-level city in Northwestern Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China and is the location of the seat of the Dêqên Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, bordering Sichuan to the northwest, north, and ea ...
. It is written as 中甸鸢尾 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 '' zhong dian yuan wei'' in Pidgin
A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified means of communication that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn from s ...
Chinese.[
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 ...
''subdichotoma'' refers to ''Iris dichotoma'' (Also known as the Vesper Iris). 'Dichotoma' means forked in pairs or having 2 branches. It is very similar in form to ''Iris dichotoma'' but smaller.[
It was first published and described by Yu Tang Zhao in 'Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica' (Acta Phytotax. Sin. published in Beijing) Vol.18 Issue 1 on page 57 in 1980.]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 4 April 2003 and then updated on 29 September 2008.[ ''Iris subdichotoma'' 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 Asia.[
]
Range
It has been found in Chinese province
The provincial level administrative divisions () are the highest-level administrative divisions of China. There are 34 such divisions claimed by the People's Republic of China, classified as 23 provinces (), five autonomous regions, four muni ...
of 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 ...
,[
It has been found on Haba Snow Mountain,][ and beside the ]Yangtze River
The Yangtze or Yangzi ( or ; ) is the longest list of rivers of Asia, river in Asia, the list of rivers by length, third-longest in the world, and the longest in the world to flow entirely within one country. It rises at Jari Hill in th ...
.[
]
Habitat
It grows in grasslands, on open hillsides or on banks or slopes beside rivers.[
It grows at altitudes of between above sea level.][
]
References
Sources
*Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 205.
*Waddick, J. W. & Zhao Yu-tang. 1992. Iris of China.
External links
{{Taxonbar, from=Q10875918
subdichotoma
Plants described in 1901
Flora of Central Asia
Flora of China