''Iris domestica'', commonly known as leopard lily, blackberry lily, and leopard flower, is an

ornamental plant Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that ...

in the family

Iridaceae Iridaceae is a family of plants in order Asparagales, taking its name from the irises, meaning rainbow, referring to its many colours. There are 66 accepted genera with a total of c. 2244 species worldwide (Christenhusz & Byng 2016). It inclu ...

. In 2005, based on molecular DNA sequence evidence, ''Belamcanda chinensis'', the sole species in the genus ''Belamcanda'', was transferred to the genus ''Iris'' and renamed ''Iris domestica''.Goldblatt P, Mabberley DJ (2005) ''Belamcanda'' Included in ''Iris'', and the New Combination ''I. domestica'' (Iridaceae: Irideae). Novon: A Journal for Botanical Nomenclature: Vol. 15, No. 1 pp. 128–132

Description

perennial herb 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 widel ...

, ''I. domestica'' may grow to a height of , with its

rhizome 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 ...

s in shallow ground, extending horizontally. It has 3-5-stems and 8-14 leaves per stem growing in a fan, with flowers ascending proximally having orange-red scattered spots of darker pigment, blooming during summer. The seed pods open in the fall, showing clusters of black, shiny seeds whose resemblance to those of a

blackberry The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by many species in the genus ''Rubus'' in the family Rosaceae, hybrids among these species within the subgenus ''Rubus'', and hybrids between the subgenera ''Rubus'' and ''Idaeobatus''. The taxonomy ...

gives the plant its common name, "blackberry lily". The plant is hardy to

USDA plant hardiness zone A hardiness zone is a geographic area defined as having a certain average annual minimum temperature, a factor relevant to the survival of many plants. In some systems other statistics are included in the calculations. The original and most wide ...

5 and is propagated by seeds or division. In the wild, it grows in

grassland A grassland is an area where the vegetation is dominated by grasses ( Poaceae). However, sedge ( Cyperaceae) and rush ( Juncaceae) can also be found along with variable proportions of legumes, like clover, and other herbs. Grasslands occur na ...

s, pastures, forest clearings,

meadow A meadow ( ) is an open habitat, or field, vegetated by grasses, herbs, and other non- woody plants. Trees or shrubs may sparsely populate meadows, as long as these areas maintain an open character. Meadows may be naturally occurring or arti ...

s, and mountainous regions or shrublands. Although it has escaped cultivation in many regions, it is not considered to have potential as an

invasive species An invasive species otherwise known as an alien is an introduced organism that becomes overpopulated and harms its new environment. Although most introduced species are neutral or beneficial with respect to other species, invasive species adv ...

Synonyms

Its synonyms are ''Epidendrum domesticum'' L., ''Vanilla domestica'' ( L.) Druce, ''Belamcanda punctata'' Moench, ''Gemmingia chinensis'' ( L.)

Kuntze Kuntze is a surname of German origin. People with that name include: * Carl Kuntze (1922-2006), Dutch rower who competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics * Edward J. Kuntze (1826-1870), Prussian-born American sculptor * Otto Kuntze (1843-1907), German ...

, ''Ixia chinensis'' L., ''Morea chinensis'', and ''Pardanthus chinensis'' Ker Gawl.) Belamcanda chinensis32.jpg, Flower petals Belamcanda chinensis seeds.jpg, Seed pod 21-Flor Leopardo – Belamcanda chinensis.jpg, Seed pod

Distribution

The plant is native to

Eastern Asia East Asia is the eastern region of Asia, which is defined in both geographical and ethno-cultural terms. The modern states of East Asia include China, Japan, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, and Taiwan. China, North Korea, South Korea ...

and has been cultivated worldwide in

subtropical The subtropical zones or subtropics are geographical and climate zones to the north and south of the tropics. Geographically part of the temperate zones of both hemispheres, they cover the middle latitudes from to approximately 35° north a ...

and

temperate climate 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 ...

s. Due to the ornamental value of its attractive flowers, the plant was distributed to Europe as early as the

18th century The 18th century lasted from January 1, 1701 ( MDCCI) to December 31, 1800 ( MDCCC). During the 18th century, elements of Enlightenment thinking culminated in the American, French, and Haitian Revolutions. During the century, slave tradi ...

and the United States and

Caribbean countries This is a list of sovereign states and dependent territories in the Caribbean. In a general sense, the Caribbean can be taken to mean all the nations in and around the Caribbean Sea that lie within an area that stretches from The Bahamas in th ...

in the

19th century The 19th (nineteenth) century began on 1 January 1801 ( MDCCCI), and ended on 31 December 1900 ( MCM). The 19th century was the ninth century of the 2nd millennium. The 19th century was characterized by vast social upheaval. Slavery was abolish ...

Uses

''I. domestica'' is a common ornamental plant in private and public gardens,

zoo A zoo (short for zoological garden; also called an animal park or menagerie) is a facility in which animals are kept within enclosures for public exhibition and often bred for conservation purposes. The term ''zoological garden'' refers to z ...

s, and floral displays. Its flowers provide

nectar Nectar is a sugar-rich liquid produced by plants in glands called nectaries or nectarines, either within the flowers with which it attracts pollinating animals, or by extrafloral nectaries, which provide a nutrient source to animal mutualist ...

and

pollen Pollen is a powdery substance produced by seed plants. It consists of pollen grains (highly reduced microgametophytes), which produce male gametes (sperm cells). Pollen grains have a hard coat made of sporopollenin that protects the gametop ...

to insects and birds. The plant has been used in

traditional medicine Traditional medicine (also known as indigenous medicine or folk medicine) comprises medical aspects of traditional knowledge that developed over generations within the folk beliefs of various societies, including indigenous peoples, before the ...

References

Bibliography

External links

*
''Belamcanda chinensis''''Belamcanda chinensis''
a
USDA PLANTS Database
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Iris domestica

domestica ''Domestica'' (also styled as ''Cursive's Domestica'') is the third studio album by the American indie rock band Cursive, released on June 20, 2000. This album was the 31st release by Saddle Creek Records, released on CD as well as both red and ...

Garden plants