Iris ser. Californicae

Iris series Californicae are a series of the genus Iris, in Iris subg. Limniris. They are commonly known as Pacific Coast iris (PCI),[1] or Pacific Coast natives (PCN).[2]

Iris ser. Californicae
Iris chrysophylla
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Iris
Subgenus: Iris subg. Limniris
Section: Iris sect. Limniris
Series: Iris ser. Californicae
(Diels) Lawrence

The series was first classified by Diels in Die Natürlichen Pflanzenfamilien (Edited by H. G. A. Engler and K. Prantl) in 1930. It was further expanded by Lawrence in 'Gentes Herb' (written in Dutch) in 1953.[3]

They all possess thin wiry, rhizomes and roots. They also have narrow, long evergreen leaves.[1] Which are leathery and deep green.[2]

The plants have unbranched flower stems that bear 2 or 3 flowers. The plants do clump quickly and produce many stems.[1] They prefer acid soils. (all except 'Iris douglasiana', which prefers alkaline soils).[2] In the wild, all the species are located on soils on slopes with good drainage. They grow at the edge of woods. They do not like root disturbance, so can be difficult to cultivate for the gardener.[4][1] They can be grown in large clay pots in the UK, to be able to protect them in the winter.[2] or they could be grown from seed, to stop root disturbance.[4] Most flower between mid spring to early summer.[1] April to June (in the UK).[2] The leaves can turn red in the autumn.[5] They have been used to create various hybrids. Mostly in America.[2]

They come from the west coast of USA, native to California, Oregon, and Washington, they are mostly dwarf in size and flower in early summer. They vary in colour depending on the species.[1]

It includes;

References
  1. Stebbings, Geoff (1997). The Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises. Newton Abbot: David and Charles. pp. 17–18. ISBN 0715305395.
  2. Austin, Claire (2005). Irises A Garden Encyclopedia. Timber Press, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0881927306.
  3. James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification, p. 647, at Google Books
  4. Christopher Bricknell, ed. (1994). Gardeners' Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers (Updated 1994). Dorling Kindersley. p. 521. ISBN 0-7513-0800-5.
  5. Cassidy, George E.; Linnegar, Sidney (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. p. 134. ISBN 0-88192-089-4.

Other sources
  • Evolutionary Studies in Iris Series Californicae, Carol Anne Wilson, University of California, Berkeley, 1996


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