Siberian iris
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''Iris sibirica'' ( commonly known as Siberian iris or Siberian flag), 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 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 ho ...
herbaceous
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 Europe (including France, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Former Yugoslavia, Belarus, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Ukraine and northern Turkey) and Central Asia (including Armenia, Azerbaijan and Siberia). It has long green grass-like leaves, tall stem, 2–5 violet-blue, to blue, and occasionally 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 ...
regions.


Description

''Iris sibirica'' was often confused with ''
Iris sanguinea ''Iris sanguinea'' is a rhizomatous flowering plant in the genus '' Iris'' and in the series '' Sibiricae''. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is one of the species considered a Japanese iris. It is from Asia, fou ...
'', another blue flowering Asian iris, but ''Iris sanguinea'' has unbranched stems, while ''Iris sibirica'' has branched stems. It has creeping rhizome (approximately diameter), forming a dense clumping plant.Richard Lynch The rhizomes are covered with the brown remnants of old leaves, from previous seasons. It has green grass-like leaves,Mike Heger, John Whitman and Debbie Lonnee which are ribbed and can sometimes have a pink tinge at the base of the leaf. They can grow to between long and wide, normally shorter than the flowering stems. In Autumn, the foliage turns yellow and then dies back (in winter), to re-emerge in the spring. It has a hollow, slender, 1–3 branched stem, that grows up to between long. The stems bear 2–5 (normally three) flowers, at the terminal ends between late spring and early summer, between May and June. It has 3 brown paper-like
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), that are reddish at the base, measuring between long. The flowers come in a range of blue shades. From violet-blue, to blue, and occasionally white. The flowers are in diameter. 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'. The drooping obovate falls, measuring long and 2–2.5 cm wide, have a wide (or flaring) white blade or signal (central part of the petal) with dark-blue to violet veining. The white forms of the iris have a tinge of lavender and dark veining. The smaller narrow upright standards are between long and 1.5–1.8 cm wide. It has a light to dark blue-violet, circular perianth tube, about 1 cm long, pale blue style (about long), a pedicel between 1–15 cm long and a 1.5–2 cm roundly triangular, ovary. After the iris has flowered, it produces a short stubby seed capsule, which is roundly triangular with low ridges at angles, measuring 3–4.5 cm by 1–1.3 cm. Inside the capsule, are 2 rows of seeds, which are thin, flat, shaped like a capital 'D' and dark brown seeds, measuring about 5 mm by 3 mm.


Biochemistry

It has been studied various times. 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 count various times; 2n=28, Sim. 1928; 2n=28, Skalinska, 1961; 2n=28, Wcislo, 1964; 2n=28 Baerji, 1970; 2n=28, Sharma, 1970; 2n=28; Lovka & Sus. 1971; 2n=28, Love in November 71, 2n=28, Pop.& Cesch. 1975,1976; 2n=28, Wetschnig, 1988; 2n=28, Malakhova & Markova, 1994. 2n=28 is the most common listed count. This means it is genetically similar to ''
Iris sanguinea ''Iris sanguinea'' is a rhizomatous flowering plant in the genus '' Iris'' and in the series '' Sibiricae''. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is one of the species considered a Japanese iris. It is from Asia, fou ...
'' and ''
Iris typhifolia ''Iris typhifolia'' is a species in the genus '' Iris'', also the subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the series '' Sibiricae''. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from China. It has slender, twisted leaves, deep green slender hollow stem and 2 ...
''.


Taxonomy

''Iris sibirica'' is pronounced as ''EYE-ris sy-BEER-ah-kuh''. It has the common names of ''Siberian Iris'', or ''Siberian Flag'' (mainly in the UK). It is known as ''iris de Sibérie'' (in French), ''sibirische Schwertlilie'' or ''Wiesen-Schwertlilie'' (in German) and ''strandiris'' (in Swedish). It has been around before the 1500s and was first called ''Iris augustifolia media'' by
Carolus Clusius Charles de l'Écluse, L'Escluse, or Carolus Clusius (19 February 1526 – 4 April 1609), seigneur de Watènes, was an Artois doctor and pioneering botanist, perhaps the most influential of all 16th-century scientific horticulturists. Life Clu ...
. It was first collected in Siberia by
monks A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
in the Middle Ages and grown in
monasteries A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer which ...
, later it was distributed around Europe, where there are now many cultivars. It has been cultivated in Britain since 1596. It was then first described and published by
Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (; 23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after his Nobility#Ennoblement, ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. (), was a Swedish botanist, zoologist, taxonomist, and physician who formalise ...
in his book, ''Species Plantarum'' 1 39 on 1 May 1753. Who renamed the iris, ''Iris sibirica''. 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 ...
Agricultural Research Service on 20 April 1998.


Distribution and habitat

''Iris sibirica'' 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 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 ...
areas between
Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
and
Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...
. It has the widest distribution range of all the Siberian iris series.


Range

Within Europe, it is found in west
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
,
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, Switzerland,
Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, Czech Republic and Slovakia,
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
, Poland,
Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
,
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
, Former
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
,
Belarus Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
,
Estonia Estonia, formally the Republic of Estonia, is a country by the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, a ...
, Latvia, Lithuania,
Moldova Moldova ( , ; ), officially the Republic of Moldova ( ro, Republica Moldova), is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by Romania to the west and Ukraine to the north, east, and south. The unrecognised state of Transnistr ...
,
Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
and northern
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
. It is found in the
Caucasus The Caucasus () or Caucasia (), is a region between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea, mainly comprising Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia (country), Georgia, and parts of Southern Russia. The Caucasus Mountains, including the Greater Caucasus range ...
regions of
Armenia Armenia (), , group=pron officially the Republic of Armenia,, is a landlocked country in the Armenian Highlands of Western Asia.The UNbr>classification of world regions places Armenia in Western Asia; the CIA World Factbook , , and ' ...
,
Azerbaijan Azerbaijan (, ; az, Azərbaycan ), officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, , also sometimes officially called the Azerbaijan Republic is a transcontinental country located at the boundary of Eastern Europe and Western Asia. It is a part of t ...
and
Siberia Siberia ( ; rus, Сибирь, r=Sibir', p=sʲɪˈbʲirʲ, a=Ru-Сибирь.ogg) is an extensive region, 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 ...
(of the Russia Federation). East to Lake Baikal (in Siberia). It is listed with ''
Iris bloudowii ''Iris bloudowii'' is a species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus of '' Iris'' and in the ''Psammiris'' section. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Russia, Siberia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China, with sickle-shaped leaves, sl ...
'', '' Iris glaucescens'', '' Iris humilis'', '' Iris ruthenica'', ''
Iris tenuifolia ''Iris tenuifolia'' is a beardless iris in the genus '' Iris'', in the subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the series '' Tenuifoliae'' of the genus. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from a wide region over central Asia, including Afghanistan ...
'' and '' Iris tigridia'' as being found in the
Altai-Sayan region The Altai-Sayan region is an area of Inner Asia proximate to the Altai Mountains and the Sayan Mountains, near to where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together. This region is one of the world centers of temperate plant diversity. It ...
(where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together). It has been also naturalized in various states of North America. Including
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
(in Canada),
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its capita ...
,
Maine Maine () is a state in the New England and Northeastern regions of the United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Quebec to the northeast and ...
,
Massachusetts Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
, New York,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
,
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
and
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
.


Habitat

It is found growing in damp woodland, wet meadows, grasslands or pastures, reed swamps by lakes, and beside streams. They generally gain a lot of moisture from snow-melt of mountains, flooding streams and soaking areas beside them. Within North America, it is found in the damp ditches beside roadsides.


Conservation

According to
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 ...
criteria, it is 'Vulnerable' (VU) (in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine) and it has become 'Extinct' in the Wild (EW) in
Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
. In 2014, it was 'Vulnerable' in the Carpathian part of Slovakia. It is considered to be rare and endangered in Poland and not considered threatened in Romania. The UK national collection of Siberian Iris is kept by Alun and Jill Whitehead at Aulden Farm, south of
Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster i ...
in Herefordshire.


Cultivation

Generally the 28 chromosome hybrids are easier to grow than the Sino-Siberians. The iris will tolerate temperatures down to . It is hardy to
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 2–8, and Zone H1 (which means hardy to and below (),), in Europe.James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) It is hardy in the UK. If the plants are mulched in winter they can withstand colder temperatures. The iris should be grown in well-drained, fertile, neutral to slightly acidic soils (the
pH level In chemistry, pH (), historically denoting "potential of hydrogen" (or "power of hydrogen"), is a scale used to specify the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Acidic solutions (solutions with higher concentrations of ions) are me ...
should be more than 5.6). If the soil has a high sand or clay content, large amounts of organic material (such as compost or well rotted manure) should be incorporated at planting time. It prefers positions in full sun, but can tolerate part shade (with some hours of sunlight). In very hot, arid regions, they will need some shade, as well as watering and mulching. The plant needs moisture during the growing season (in spring and early summer) to create the best blooms. Although it will tolerate occasional flooding, it does not grow in standing water. As
Vita Sackville-West Victoria Mary, Lady Nicolson, CH (née Sackville-West; 9 March 1892 – 2 June 1962), usually known as Vita Sackville-West, was an English author and garden designer. Sackville-West was a successful novelist, poet and journalist, as wel ...
noted ‘…it will do well by the waterside in a fairly damp bed, although it does not like being drowned underwater all year round.’ They can be used in various positions within gardens, at waterside locations beside pools, ponds or streams. Also known as ideal
bog garden A bog garden is a type of garden that employs permanently moist (but not waterlogged) soil to create a habitat for plants and creatures which thrive in such conditions. It may exploit existing poor drainage in the garden, or it may be artificiall ...
plants. They can also be used within a
Herbaceous border A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants (plants that live for more than two years and are soft-stemmed and non-woody) arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. ...
. The iris can also be used in mixed plantings with grasses and other perennials to create naturalised gardens and meadows. They are sturdy plants and do not need to be staked. The
National Collection The UK National Collection is a collection of around 280 historic rolling stock, rail vehicles (predominantly of British origin). The majority of the collection is kept at four national museums: * National Railway Museum, York * National Railwa ...
(of Siberian Irises in UK) is held at Lingen Nursery, on the Welsh border.
Aphid Aphids are small sap-sucking insects and members of the superfamily Aphidoidea. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white woolly aphids. A t ...
'' Aphis newtoni'' and can be found on the plant.


Propagation

They are best 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 ...
. The best time to divide plants is mid-summer to early autumn. They do not like root disturbance and should only be divided when the center of the clump dies out. When preparing divisions for transplanting, store them in a bucket of water to stop them drying out. The new plants are easy to grow but are slow to form flower producing plants, they can take up to 2 years to get big enough to produce flowering stems. The iris can also be grown from seed, allow the mature pods to dry on the plant. Then break open to collect seeds and the direct sow outdoors in fall or autumn. The new plants are planted with the top of the rhizome, below the soil surface. The plant position must be prepared before hand with plenty of compost (or manure) added to the soil to improve the fertility. After planting, the iris must be well watered. Seedlings are also susceptible to transplant shock, this can be lessened if a small plastic pot is placed over the newly planted plant. This protects the plant for the next 3–5 days. In some regions (especially warm areas), the transplants should be kept moist for the following 6–8 weeks. In spring, a handful of
fertilizer A fertilizer (American English) or fertiliser (British English; see spelling differences) is any material of natural or synthetic origin that is applied to soil or to plant tissues to supply plant nutrients. Fertilizers may be distinct from ...
can be added to the plant to improve flowering or an organic mulch can be added. It can also be propagated by somatic embryogenesis.


Hybrids and cultivars

Since the 1970s, hybridizers and plant breeders have been cross-pollinating the various species in the Siberian group with ''Iris sibirica'' to create many hybrids. Their parentage is now so complicated that the cultivars, are no longer listed with a species name. Several hundred Siberian iris cultivars are registered with the American Iris Society. The flowers of the cultivars vary in colour from white to shades of blue or deep violet-blue. Pale blue forms were originally obtained by crossing the white and the blue varieties of ''Iris sibirica''; it also combines readily with ''Iris sanguinea'' to produce hybrids with taller stems. The flowers of hybrids can have arched, semi-flaring, flaring or overlapped falls; some of them even have ruffled or extra falls. The newer Japanese hybrids, have six pendant falls, which make them similar in appearance to the Japanese Iris or ''
Iris ensata ''Iris ensata'', the Japanese iris or Japanese water iris ( Japanese: ''hanashōbu''), formerly ''I. kaempferi'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Japan, China, Korea and Russia, and widely cultivated as an orna ...
''. Known Iris sibirica cultivars include; 'Acuta' ; 'Alba Grandiflora' ; 'Band of Angels'; 'Butter and Sugar' (white petals on top with yellow falls); 'Caesar's Brother'; 'Caesar's Ghost' ; 'Cambridge' (created in 1964); 'Coronation Anthem'; 'Dancing Nanou'; 'Dewful'; 'Dreaming Spires' (created in 1964); 'Ego' (a rich blue); 'Elmeney' ; 'Enid Burgoyne' ; 'Ewen'; 'Flight Of Butterflies'; 'Forward And Back' ; 'Grandis' ; 'Heavenly Blue'; ‘King of Kings’ (white blossoms); 'Lactea' ; 'Leucantha'; 'Little Blue Sparkler' ; 'Mongolius' ; ‘Mysterious Monique’; 'Navy Blue'; 'Nigrescens'; 'Niklasse'; 'Papillon' (pale blue); 'Perry's Blue' (pale blue); ‘Placid Waters’ (with lavender blue flowers); 'Prairie In Bloom' ; 'Pritiazheniye' ; 'Royal Blue'; 'Ruffled Violet'; 'Ruffles Plus';‘Savoir Faire’ (many deep blue flowers held above the dense narrow foliage); 'Shaker's Prayer' ; 'Sibirica Alba'; 'Sibirica Albescens'; 'Sibirica Angustifolia' ; 'Sibirica Atropurpurea' ; 'Sibirica Baxteri' ; 'Sibirica Blue Bird' ; 'Sibirica 'Compacta' ; 'Sibirica Cristata' ; 'Sibirica Flore Pleno' ; 'Sibirica Gracilis' ; 'Sibirica Mrs. Perry' ; 'Sibirica Nana' ; 'Sibirica Nana Alba' ; 'Sibirica Papillon' ; 'Sibirica Snowdrift' ; 'Silver Edge'; 'Sky Wings'; 'Snow Prince'; 'Snow Queen' ; ‘Southcombe White’; ‘Sultan’s Ruby’ (deep magenta blooms); 'Summer Sky'; ‘Super Ego’; 'Swank'; 'U.S.O.'; ‘Violet Flare’; ‘Wing on Wing’ (white); and 'Wisley White'. The following cultivars of ''I. sibirica'' have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nor ...
's Award of Garden Merit (in the UK):- *'Butter and Sugar' *'Cambridge' *'Ruffled Velvet' *'Silver Edge' Known Iris sibirica crosses; 'Abitibi' ; 'Aindling Goldauge' ; 'Aindling Libelle' ; 'Aindling Morgenstimmung' ; 'Aindling Rohrsaenger' ; 'Banish Misfortune' ; 'Butterfly Fountain' ; 'Chaudiere' ; 'Chrysobirica' ; 'Chrysobirica Gloriosa' ; 'Chrysobirica Purpurea' ; 'Common Denominator' ; 'Cookley Blue' ; 'Foretell' ; 'Gatineau' ; 'Helicon' ; 'Hohe Warte' ; 'Kootenay' ; 'Lichterfeldius' ; 'Madawaska' ; 'Matane' ; 'Mauve Snowtop' ; 'Moonscape' ; 'Neidenstein' ; 'Ottawa' ; 'Rideau' ; 'Rimouski' ; 'Royal Californian' ; 'Pausback Sibtosa' ; 'Pembina' ; 'Pennywhistle' ; 'Pickanock' ; 'Salamander Crossing' ; 'Sarah Tiffney' ; 'Sibulleyanna' ; 'Soothsayer' ; 'Sporting Chance' ; 'Starsteps' ; 'Stilles Wasser' ; 'True Blue'; 'Vidtinky Nochi' ; 'Violet Wave' ; 'Weber's Spring Blues' and 'Zeta'.


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. However an edible starch has been extracted from the plant in China, similar to
Iris ensata ''Iris ensata'', the Japanese iris or Japanese water iris ( Japanese: ''hanashōbu''), formerly ''I. kaempferi'', is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to Japan, China, Korea and Russia, and widely cultivated as an orna ...
. The root has also been used to create an insecticide and an
expectorant Mucoactive agents are a class of chemical agents that aid in the clearance of mucus or sputum from the upper and lower airways, including the lungs, bronchi, and trachea. Mucoactive drugs include expectorants, mucolytics, mucoregulators, and muco ...
.


Uses

Johan Peter Falk Johan Peter Falk (26 November 1732 – 31 March 1774) was a Swedish botanist and an apostle of Carl Linnaeus. His first name is sometimes spelled "Johann"; his middle name is sometimes spelled "Pehr"; and his surname is sometimes spelled "Falck". ...
noted that the Tara
Tartars Tartary ( la, Tartaria, french: Tartarie, german: Tartarei, russian: Тартария, Tartariya) or Tatary (russian: Татария, Tatariya) was a blanket term used in Western European literature and cartography for a vast part of Asia bound ...
of Russia (West Siberia) coloured cloth yellow with ''Iris sibirica'' flowers and the Votyaks,
Mordvins The Mordvins (also Unified Mordvin people, Mordvinians, Mordovians; russian: мордва, Mordva, Mordvins (no equivalents in Moksha and Erzya)) is an obsolete but official term used in the Russian Federation to refer both to Erzyas and Mo ...
and Kalmyks derived red dye from
Galium ''Galium'' is a large genus of annual and perennial herbaceous plants in the family Rubiaceae, occurring in the temperate zones of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Some species are informally known as bedstraw. There are over 600 spe ...
species. It has also been used to create a drug to be used as an
emetic Vomiting (also known as emesis and throwing up) is the involuntary, forceful expulsion of the contents of one's stomach through the mouth and sometimes the nose. Vomiting can be the result of ailments like food poisoning, gastroenteritis ...
and
laxative Laxatives, purgatives, or aperients are substances that loosen stools and increase bowel movements. They are used to treat and prevent constipation. Laxatives vary as to how they work and the side effects they may have. Certain stimulant, lubri ...
. An old traditional usage before the wedding night,
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
girls eat the cooked fruit (seeds) of ''Iris sibirica'' to help improve
contraception Birth control, also known as contraception, anticonception, and fertility control, is the use of methods or devices to prevent unwanted pregnancy. Birth control has been used since ancient times, but effective and safe methods of birth contr ...
.Raymond W. Bernard


Culture

An illustration of ''Iris sibirica'' has been used as a
Postage stamp A postage stamp is a small piece of paper issued by a post office, postal administration, or other authorized vendors to customers who pay postage (the cost involved in moving, insuring, or registering mail), who then affix the stamp to the f ...
in
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
.


Gallery

File:Iris sibirica in natural monument Novoveska draha in 2011 (18).JPG Image:Iris sibirica 060603.jpg Image:Eriskirch-IrisSibirica1-Asio.JPG Image:Kosaciec syberyjski Iris sibirica kwiaty.jpg Image:Iris sibirica 180605.jpg ''Iris sibirica''
Cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture ...
s Image:Siberian Iris Iris siberica Unopened Flower 2000px.jpg, An unopened flower Image:Siberian Iris Iris sibirica Flower 2500px.jpg, Flower Image:Siberian Iris Iris sibirica Flower Closeup 2520px.jpg, Flower closeup Image:Iris sibirica 'Tropic-night' flower Multispectral comparison Vis UV IR.jpg, Flower in visible light, UV (showing
nectar guide Nectar guides are markings or patterns seen in flowers of some angiosperm species, that guide pollinators to their rewards. Rewards commonly take the form of nectar, pollen, or both, but various plants produce oil, resins, scents, or waxes. Such ...
s), and IR File:Siberian Iris. Eastern Siberia.jpg, Siberian Iris. Eastern Siberia


References


Sources

*Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. 2009. Våra kulturväxters namn – ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin). *Chinese Academy of Sciences. 1959–. Flora reipublicae popularis sinicae. *Czerepanov, S. K. 1995
Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR)
*Davis, P. H., ed. 1965–1988. Flora of Turkey and the east Aegean islands. *Erhardt, W. et al. 2008. Der große Zander: Enzyklopädie der Pflanzennamen. *FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–
Flora of North America
*Huxley, A., ed. 1992. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. *Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964
Flora of the U.S.S.R.
*Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 91–92. * Stace, Clive 1995. ''New Flora of the British Isles''. *Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea. *Walters, S. M. et al., eds. 1986–. European garden flora. *Zhong Guo & Hua Jing. 1993. China floral encyclopaedia.


External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q145686 sibirica Flora of Europe Flora of temperate Asia Garden plants of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Medicinal plants