Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima

Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima is a subspecies in the genus Iris, subgenus Iris and section Oncocyclus. It is a subspecies of Iris iberica and is a rhizomatous perennial, from Armenia, Turkey and Iran. It has large, thin and falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves, slender stem with a single flower between April and May. It has a white, cream or pale yellow ground, which is covered in dark veining or speckling in violet, mauve, purple or brown shades. The larger standards are paler, normally white and less veined. The falls, have darker veining and a dark signal patch and brown or purple beard. It is commonly known as Iris elegantissima, especially in Europe and Russia. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, but normally needs some protection during the winter period.

Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Iris
Species:
I. iberica
Subspecies:
I. i. subsp. elegantissima
Trinomial name
Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima
Synonyms[1]
  • Iris elegantissima Sosn.
  • Iris speciosissima Filippov

Description

It is classed as an mezo-xerophyte (meaning it likes medium to dry habitats),[2] and has stoloniferous rhizomes which are about 3 cm long. Underneath the rhizomes, it has very long secondary roots.[3]

It has large,[4] ribbon-like,[3] and falcate (sickle-shaped),[5][6] leaves, that can grow up to between 20–30 cm (8–12 in) long,[3]

It has a slender stem or peduncle, that starts to grow in March,[3] up to between 20–30 cm (8–12 in) tall.[7][8][9]

The stem holds a terminal (top of stem) flower,[3] the plant normally has 2–3 stems,[4] each with flower buds,[10] blooming in Spring,[11] between late March,[3] or April and May,[4][12] or June.[5]

The large flowers, are 10–14 cm (4–6 in) in diameter,[6][8] they have a white,[5][6][13] cream,[3] or pale yellow ground,[8][11][14] has dark,[9] veining or speckling in violet,[5] mauve,[10] purple or brown shades.[3][11] Compared to Iris iberica which can have blue veining and marking.[13]

Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 sepals (outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner petals (or tepals), known as the 'standards'.[15][16]:17 The darker veined,[6][7] scallop shell shaped,[10] falls are deflexed (bending over to an almost flat position),[10][11] and up to 6–8 cm (2–3 in) long.[5] in the center of the falls, is a velvet-like,[5] dark,[14] brown to purple,[3] or black signal patch.[5] Also, in the middle of the falls, is a row of short hairs called the 'beard', which are brown to purple.[3] Also over the falls, the iris has a deflexed style branches that almost covers the signal spot.[13] The almost vertical,[11] and larger standards,[17] are creamy,[5] or white,[6] with pale,[3] or thin violet veins.[5] They are up to 6–10 cm (2–4 in) long,[5][10] and can be described as white cotton handkerchiefs.[10]

The flowers produce pollen, which has been precisely measured, the long axis is 114 micrometres (0.0045 in) long and the short axis is 111 microns long.[18]

After the iris has flowered, it produces a seed capsule between June to July.[5][2] Then the plant dies back, losing the leaves and stems, to rest underground during the winter.[2]

Biochemistry

As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[16]:18 It has a chromosome count: 2n=20,[3][14][19] and has an unnamed alkaloid (as of 1961), contained within its rhizome.[20]

A study in 2014, was carried out on various species of iris DNA, it found that I. iberica ssp. elegantissima had a purity value of 2.80, compared to 1.26 of Iris aucheri.

Taxonomy

The Latin specific epithet elegantissima refers to 'elegantissimus' meaning very elegant,[21] it is a superlative of 'elegans'.[22]

It was first discovered in Transcaucasus,[23] and then first published and described by Dmitrii Ivanovich Sosnowsky in Vestn. Tiflissk. Bot. Sada Vol.11 on page 2 in 1915.[1][23] In 1972, it was then re-classified as a subspecies of Iris iberica by A. L. Takhtadzhyan and A. A. Fedorov, and published as Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima (Sosn.) Fed. & Takht. in Fl. Erevana Vol.331 in 1972.[1][24][25]

Although it is often referred to as Iris elegantissima Sosn. in Russia and Armenia.[26][27][28] but elsewhere it is referred to as a subspecies.[29][30][31]

It was verified as Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 22 February 2006, then altered in 11 December 2007.[24] It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life,[32] and is an accepted name by the RHS.[33]

Distribution and habitat

It is native to temperate Asia.[24]

Range

It is found in Armenia,[4][7][24] (including Shirak,[12] Yerevan,[12][15][27] Aparan, Mount Aragats and Sevan.[5]) in north western Iran,[4][10][24] (including Maku,[5]) and in north eastern Turkey,[4][6][10] (or East Anatolia,[5]) including near Lake Van Basin,[29] Erzurum,[10] and Ararat.[34]

It was listed as found in Azerbaijan, in 2004,[35] but this either a cultivated form or mistaken form of Iris iberica, which is naturally found there.[36]

Habitat

It grows on the lower and middle mountain belts,[5] on semi-desert slopes,[5][7][27] or dry rocky, (marl) slopes,[5][4][10] and steppes,[5][4][7]--> (with many annuals and long grasses.[15]) and in coniferous forests.[4][15]

They can be found at an altitude of 750–2,250 ft (230–690 m) above sea level.[5][4][10]

Conservation

It is a rare species,[4] and was included in the Red Data Book of Armenia,[5][12][26] but not included in the Annexes of CITES and that of the Bern Convention.[5] It is at risk due to various factors, including urbanization, land development for arable purposes (framing) and the intensive collection (of the flowers) for selling.[5]

The species grows and is monitored within Sevan National Park, Khosrov State Reserve and Erebuni State Reserve in Armenia.[5][26] Erebuni was formed in 1981, with the purpose of protecting 100 varieties of wild wheat and their habitat. Various rare or endangered species of plant can be found within the reserve, including Actinolema macrolema, Aegilops crassa, Gladiolus atroviolaceus, Hordeum spontaneum, Iris elegantissima (I. iberica subsp. elegantissima), Merendera trigyna, Stipa vavilovii, Triticum araraticum, Triticum boeoticum and Triticum urartu.[26]

It is also grown in Yerevan Botanic Garden in Armenia.[37]

Cultivation

'Oncocyclus Section' Irises are in general easier to grow than 'Regalia Section' irises.[6] I. iberica subsp elegantissima is hardy to European Zone 4,[11] (meaning hardy to −5 to −10oC (23 to 14oF).[38] In the UK, it needs to be covered through the winter,[7] within an alpine house.[10][39]

The irises grow within fertile,[39] highly drained soil,[4][39] in full sun,[7] but needs protection from rain in the late summer and winter.[4][30][39] In the US, the rhizomes are susceptible to being dug up by squirrels.[30]

Propagation

Irises can generally be propagated by division,[40] or by seed growing. Irises generally require a period of cold, then a period of warmth and heat, also they need some moisture. Some seeds need stratification, (the cold treatment), which can be carried out indoors or outdoors. Seedlings are generally potted on (or transplanted) when they have 3 leaves.[41] Oncoyclus irises dislike division, but it should only be carried out when the plant is overcrowded. Although hand pollination and germinating seedlings gives better results.[42]

Toxicity
Armenia produced stamps for Iris elegantissima and Iris lycotis (subspecies of Iris iberica)

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.[43]

Culture

On 19 December 1997, as part of Flora and Fauna of Armenia (III issue) in the 'Irises' series, 2 stamps had images of the irises,[12] (See images on the right), also on 12 August 1993, a commemorative stamp was issued in Azerbaijan, from the Flowers series, Iris elegantissima.[44]

References
  1. "Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima (Sosn.) Fed. & Takht. is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). 23 March 2012. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  2. Nadiradze, Tamar; Eradze, Nino (2014). "In Situ Conservation of Some Rare and Endemic Species of Iridaceae Family in National Botanical Garden of Georgia" (PDF). European Researcher. 77 (6). doi:10.13187/issn.2219-8229. Retrieved 29 January 2016.
  3. "Chapter I (Part 5) I Oncocyclus" (in French). irisbotanique.over-blog.com. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  4. "Iris Iberica Subsp. Elegantissima – Product Detail" (in Turkish). amaryllisbahcesi.com. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  5. Oganesian, M.E. (2001). "Iris elegantissima Sosn". mnp.am. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  6. "Oncocyclus, Regelia and Reglio-cyclus Irises, The Plantsmen, Buckshaw Gardens, Holwell, Sherborne, Dorset" (PDF). srgc.net (Scottish Rock Garden Society). Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  7. Klečková, Jana (17 January 2012). "Irises important garden IV. – Aril irises hybrids and hřebínkaté" (in Czech). zahradaweb.cz. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
  8. "Iris iberica". alpinegardensociety.net. Retrieved 12 November 2016.
  9. "Iris summary" (PDF). pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  10. Drinkwater, Robyn (8 May 2009). "Iris's handkerchief". stories.rbge.org.uk (Edinburgh Botanics). Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  11. James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification (2011) , p. 249, at Google Books
  12. "Flora". iatp.am. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  13. Wilson, Carol Anne; Padiernos, Justin; Sapir, Yuval (February 2016). "the royal irises (Iris subg. Iris sect. Oncocyclus): Plastid and low-copy nuclear data contribute to an understanding of their phylogenetic relationships". Taxon. 65 (1): 35. doi:10.12705/651.3. Retrieved 9 November 2016.
  14. Kramb, D. (21 September 2004). "Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima". signa.org (Species Iris Group of North America). Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  15. Strange, Kit (13 June 2011). "Alpine travels in Armenia (part one)". kew.org. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  16. Austin, Claire (2005). Irises; A Garden Encyclopedia. Timber Press. ISBN 978-0881927306.
  17. Stebbings, Geoff (1997). The Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. p. 69. ISBN 978-0715305393.
  18. Dönmez, Emel Oybak; Işik, Serap (2008). "Pollen morphology of Turkish Amaryllidaceae, Ixioliriaceae and Iridaceae". Grana. 47 (1): 15–38. doi:10.1080/00173130701860104. S2CID 85120306.
  19. Avishai, Michael; Zohary, Daniel (1977). "Chromosomes in the Oncocyclus Irises". Botanical Gazette (Bot. Gaz). 138 (4): 502–511. doi:10.1086/336956. JSTOR 2473887.
  20. John James Willaman and Bernice Schubert Alkaloid-bearing Plants and Their Contained Alkaloids (August 1961), p. 94, at Google Books
  21. William Stern Horticulture – Plant Names Explained: Botanical Terms and Their Meaning, p. 84, at Google Books
  22. David Gledhill The Names of Plants, p. 151, at Google Books
  23. "Iridaceae Iris elegantissima Sosn". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index). Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  24. "Taxon: Iris iberica Hoffm. subsp. elegantissima (Sosn.) Fed. & Takht". ars-grin.gov (Germplasm Resources Information Network). Retrieved 2 December 2016.
  25. "Iris elegantissima Sosn. is a synonym of Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima (Sosn.) Fed. & Takht". plantlist.org. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  26. "Country report on the state of plant genetic resources for food and agriculture" (PDF). fao.org (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN). 2008. Retrieved 1 December 2016.
  27. Randolph, Lowell Fritz; Mitra, Jyotirmay (November 1961). "Karyotypes of Iris Species Indigenous to the USSR". American Journal of Botany. 48 (10): 862–870. doi:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1961.tb11723.x. JSTOR 2439526.
  28. Sergeĭ Kirillovich Cherepanov (1981) Vascular Plants of Russia and Adjacent States (the Former USSR) , p. 28, at Google Books
  29. "The showy natural plants of Lake Van Basin". vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  30. Stokerbig, Mary (1 October 2012). "October". paridevita.com. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  31. "Species Iris (Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima) in the Irises Database". garden.org. Retrieved 29 November 2016.
  32. "Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima". eol.org. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
  33. "Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 19 November 2016.
  34. "Ararat; Azerbaijan And Turkey, A Tour For The Alpine Garden Society". greentours.co.uk. Retrieved 14 March 2016.
  35. "Chapter 6, Existing Measures and Programmes for Biodiversity Conservation Country Study on Biodiversity and First National Report, The Republic of Azerbaijan" (PDF). cbd.int. April 2004. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
  36. "Georgian Iris" (in Russian). agbina.com. Retrieved 1 March 2016.
  37. Akopian, J. A. (December 2010). "Conservation of native plant diversity at the Yerevan Botanic Garden, Armenia". Kew Bulletin. 65 (4): 663–669. doi:10.1007/s12225-011-9248-1. S2CID 22284768.
  38. "Plant Hardiness". theseedsite.co.uk. Retrieved 3 August 2015.
  39. "Iris elegantissima Tortum". Rareplants, Ltd. Retrieved 18 June 2018.
  40. "How to divide iris rhizomes". gardenersworld.com. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  41. Waters, Tom (December 2010). "Growing Irises from Seed". telp.com. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  42. Archibald, Jim (September 1999). "Silken Sad Uncertain Queens" (PDF). 67. Retrieved 9 July 2016. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  43. David G Spoerke and Susan C. SmolinskeToxicity of Houseplants, p. 236, at Google Books
  44. "Stamp catalog : Stamp ' Iris elegantissima". colnect.com. Retrieved 29 November 2016.

Sources
  • Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Society Vol.35 page 362, 1967
  • Huxley, A., ed. The new Royal Horticultural Society dictionary of gardening. 1992 (Dict. Gard.)
  • Rechinger, K. H., ed. Flora Iranica. 1963– (F Iran)

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