''Iris tubergeniana'' 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 ...

'', it is also in the subgenus ''Scorpiris''. 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 ...

from Central Asia, in the former states of USSR (

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked co ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Turkestan Turkestan, also spelled Turkistan ( fa, ترکستان, Torkestân, lit=Land of the Turks), is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and Xinjiang. Overview Known as Turan to the Persians, western Turk ...

and

Kazakhstan Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...

). It has pale green, pointed or sickle shaped leaves, short flowering stem holding 1-3 spring flowers in shades of yellow.

Description

''Iris tubergeniana'' has a similar form to '' Iris orchioides'' and '' Iris caucasica''.Richard Lynch It has a slender bulb, about 2 cm thick, with cord-like roots. It has generally about 6 leaves, 2.5-3 in tall, 0.5-2 in wide (1.5-2.5 cm) at the widest point, which are almost fully mature at flowering time. They are pale green, - light glaucous green, pointed or sickle shaped, striated, with a margin. The margin is scabrous/horned. The short flowering stem is about 10–15 cm (4 in) high at flowering time. It has 1-3 flowers, blooming between March and April, which are unscented. It has a perianth tube measuring between 4.5–5 cm long, which is tinged slightly greenish purple. It has (5.6 cm wide) flowers, in shades of yellow, from deep yellow, to bright yellow to greenish-yellow. The falls are about 1.5in long, and have a frilled, dissected beard-like crest, with violet-green spots on the sides of the ridge. It has very small standards (about 10 mm). It has (a seed capsule) fruits which appear in late spring and early summer.

Taxonomy

It was published by Sir Michael Foster as ''Iris tubergeniana'' in Gardeners Chronicles, Series 3 in 1899. It was named after the bulb company of 'Van Tubergen' from Haarlem, the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

who introduced to the UK. In 1941, Alexi Vvedenski published it as ''Juno tubergeniana'' in 'Flora Uzbekistan' (edited by Schreder). This was later re-classified as a synonym as Juno's were re-classed as part of the iris species. It was also cited in 'The Plantsman' in 2003, on page 54. ''Iris tubergeniana'' is now an accepted name by the RHS, and it 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 October 2014.

Native

''Iris tubergeniana'' is found in Central Asia and the former states of USSR, within

, (including on Chimgan, and beside the river Syr Darya ,)

and

, and on

Karatau Karatau ( kz, Қаратау, ''Qaratau'') is an administrative center in the Talas region located in the Jambyl Region in the south of Kazakhstan. It has an estimated population of roughly 30,000 in 1999. , the population is now 27,667. The la ...

. It can also be found near the town of Dzabaghly near the Aksu Canyon in the Tien Shen Mountains.

Habitat

They grow best in the red clay and gravelly slopes of the foothills of mountains.

Cultivation

It is better grown in an

alpine house A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These s ...

, but it could be grown outside in sunny sheltered sites.

Culture

In 2012, the plant was part of a set of

postage The mail or post is a system for physically transporting postcards, letters, and parcels. A postal service can be private or public, though many governments place restrictions on private systems. Since the mid-19th century, national postal syst ...

stamps issued in Uzbekistan, as part of the Chatkal Nature Reserve Series of 7 stamps, also including '' Trichius fasciatus'' (Eurasian Bee Beetle) and Eurasian Eagle-owl ('' Bubo bubo'').

Toxicity

Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (including rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested, it 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

References

External links

Image of ''Iris tubergeniana'' appears on the cover
{{Taxonbar, from=Q15572758 tubergeniana Plants described in 1853 Flora of Central Asia Flora of Uzbekistan Flora of Tajikistan Flora of Kazakhstan