Iris basaltica

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Iris basaltica
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Iris
Subgenus: Iris subg. Iris
Section: Iris sect. Oncocyclus
Species:
I. basaltica
Binomial name
Iris basaltica
Synonyms [1]

None known

Iris basaltica is a species in the genus Iris , it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the basalt deserts and hillsides of eastern Syria. It has many falcate long leaves, and long stem. Between March and April, it has white or pale green flowers covered in thick purple or black veining and dots or spots. It also has a purple or maroon beard, tipped with yellow. It is rare cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its environmental conditions of its natural habitat.

Contents

Description

It is a geophyte, with a rhizome, [2] that is dark brown, large and compact. [3] [4]

It has 9-12 leaves, that are slightly falcate (sickle-shaped) and can grow up to 24 cm (9 in) long and between 1.5 and 2 cm wide. [3] [4]

It has a slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between 15–70 cm (6–28 in) tall. [3] [4] [5]

The stem has 3–4 spathes (leaves of the flower bud), they are normally above the basal leaves. They are 11 cm (4 in) long and 9 cm (4 in) wide and slightly purple tinged at the top. [3]

The stems hold terminal (top of stem) flowers, blooming between March and April. [4] [6] [7]

The flowers are 15 cm (6 in) tall, [3] [4] come in shades of white or pale green, including light grey. [7] They have thick almost felt-like, [3] dark veining or spots in purple or black. [4] [5]

Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals (or tepals), known as the 'standards'. [8] The falls are a darker shade of colour than the standards. [7] They are ovate to lanceolate shaped, and 9 cm (4 in) long and 5 cm (2 in) wide. They have a rounded dark signal patch, [5] which is 1.5 cm in diameter. [3] [4] In the middle of the falls, is a sparse, row of short hairs called the 'beard', which are brownish purple, [5] or maroon or purple, tipped with dark yellow. [3] [4] The paler standards are orbicular (rounded), and 8.5–10.5 cm (3–4 in) long and 7–7.5 cm (3–3 in) wide. [3] [4] They also have scattered purple hairs on the claw, (part of the petal near the stem). [3]

It has creamy white and 3 cm long anthers, and thick, 1.5 cm long filaments. It has style branches which are 8 cm (3 in) long, they have multiple maroon or purple spots. The ovary is 2.5 cm long and the perianth tube is 2.8 cm long. [3]

After the iris has flowered, it produces an inflated, seed capsule, that is 6–11 cm (2–4 in) long, with 6 lobes. [3] [4]

Biochemistry

As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. [8] It has a chromosome count: 2n=20, [5] which was first counted by Marc Simonet in 1954, [9] and then by Avishai & Zohary in 1977. [10]

Taxonomy

It is sometimes commonly known as 'Basalt Iris'. [7] [9]

The Latin specific epithet basaltica refers to 'basalticus' of basaltic soils. [11]

It was first found in Kal'at-ul-Husn, (or Ḥoṣn al-Akrād) in Lebanon. [9]

It was first published and described by John Edward Dinsmore in 'Flora of Syria' (Fl. Syria) Edition 2, Vol.2 on page 597 in 1933. [1] [12] [13]

It was also published in (Publ. Am. Univ.) Beirut, Nat. Sc. Ser. No. 1; et No.3 in 1934, [12] then in Gardening Illustrated (with a colour illustration) in Vol.57 on page 227 on 20 April 1935 and in the Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society Vol.60 on series 5 on page 221 in 1935. [9]

In 1939, [9] it was thought by Paul Mouterde, that 'I. basaltica' was ancestral source of Iris susiana . [4] It was also thought to be a form, [9] or a wild relative of I. susiana. [14]

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003 and then updated on 1 December 2004. [13]

It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life, [15] and in the Catalogue of Life as Iris basaltica. [16]

Distribution and habitat

It is native and endemic to temperate western Asia. [13] [17]

Range

It is found in eastern Syria, [5] [10] [18] including near to the city of Talkalakh, [2] [19] near to the town of Hadidah, [4] [19] and also near the city of Homs. [19]

Habitat

It grows on the hillsides, [4] [14] or deserts, (made of basalt stone), [19] [20]

They can be found at an altitude of between 400–800 metres (1,300–2,600 ft) above sea level. [4] [19]

Conservation

It was listed as in danger of extinction by SA Chaudhary, [4] in 1975. [3] It was then listed as 'Endangered' by IUCN in 1997. [21] It was then listed as Data Deficient in 2016, due to the Syrian civil war. [19]

Propagation

Irises can generally be propagated by division, [22] 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. [23]

Hybrids and cultivars

One known cultivar is 'Basaltica'. [9]

Toxicity

Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also, handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction. [24]

Related Research Articles

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Iris assadiana is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the deserts of Syria. It has small rhizomes, grey-green strongly curved leaves, slender stems, scented flowers in April, in shades of maroon, purple, deep purple or black. They have dark veining and it also has yellow/white beard tipped with purple. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

<i>Iris atrofusca</i> Species of plant

Iris atrofusca is a species in the genus Iris, where it is placed in the subgenus Iris and the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial from the deserts of Israel and Jordan. The species has long falcate (sickle-shaped) or ensiform (sword-shaped) leaves, a long thick stem and large fragrant flowers that come in shades of purple brown, reddish-black, black-brown, dark brown, dark lilac or dark purple. The flowers also have a black or brownish-black signal patch and a thick beard that is brown-black, light brown or yellow tipped with brown. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

<i>Iris atropurpurea</i> Species of flowering plant

Iris atropurpurea, the coastal iris is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Israel. It has glaucous (blue-green), linear, falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves. Between February and March, it has between 1 and 2 flowers, in dark shades from red-brown, burgundy, dark purple to blackish purple. They have a darker signal patch and yellow beard tipped with purple. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to it needing very dry conditions.

<i>Iris barnumiae</i> Species of plant

Iris barnumiae is a species in the genus Iris; it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. It has pale glaucous green and narrow leaves, that are slightly sickle-shaped and fade soon after blooming. It has, in mid- to late spring, fragrant flowers in shades of purple, from red-purple, mulberry to purplish-violet, with a yellow tipped with purple beard. It was renamed as I. barnumiae in after a plant naming conference in 2011, but is still sometimes named as I. barnumae in some sources. It has one accepted subspecies Iris barnumiae subsp. demawendica and two forms; Iris barnumiae f. protonyma (Stapf) B.Mathew & Wendelbo and Iris barnumiae f. urmiensis (Hoog) B.Mathew & Wendelbo, which has yellow flowers. Sometimes I. barnumiae f. barnumiae is used to describe the basic form. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its needing very dry and warm summer conditions.

<i>Iris auranitica</i> Species of plant

Iris auranitica is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial in the Jabal al-Druze region in Syria, where it grows at about 1600 m. It has thin and long, greyish-green, semi-evergreen leaves. In May, it has fragranced flowers, with a dark signal patch and yellow beard with purple tips. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.

<i>Iris bismarckiana</i> Species of plant

Iris bismarckiana, the Nazareth iris, is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountainsides of Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria. It has stoloniferous, spreading rhizomes, long, sword shaped, bright green leaves, long slender stem and 1 flower in Spring. The large flower is pale yellow, creamy-white, or white background. Which is covered with reddish-brown, maroon brown, purple-brown, purple, blue-purple, or blue veins, markings or spots. It has a dark signal patch and dark purple to black beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.

<i>Iris bostrensis</i> Species of plant

Iris bostrensis is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the border between Syria and Jordan. It has greenish-grey leaves, 1–2 flowers in Spring,, which have a yellowish, greenish or pale brown ground, which is then covered in many brown-black, brown-purple, or brown, spots, streaks or veining. It has a bright yellow beard, slightly tipped in purple. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its environmental conditions of its natural habitat.

Iris cedreti is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iris; it is also in the subgenus of Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial endemic to Lebanon. It has long narrow leaves, short stem, and flowers with a white background which is covered with very small dots or veins of dark maroon, purple, purplish-maroon, or almost black. It has a dark maroon signal patch with a brownish or purplish beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer. It is listed as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Iris damascena is a species of plant in the genus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial endemic to Mount Qasioun in Syria. It has thin, sickle-shaped, grey-green leaves and medium-sized stem that holds 1-2 large flowers between March and April. Inflorescences are white or grey-white with purple-brown spotting or veining and a small blackish or dark purple signal patch with a sparse, purple or dark purple beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer. The species is classified as critically endangered by the IUCN.

<i>Iris gatesii</i> Species of plant

Iris gatesii is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of Turkey and Iraq. It has long, narrow, grey-green or glaucous leaves. The strong, sturdy stem supports a single large flower in spring, between April and June. The large flowers are very variable in colouring, ranging from a pale greenish, grey, white, or creamy-yellow background colour, which is then covered with many purplish-brown, purple, or nearly black, spots, dots, short broken lines, or veining. They have a brownish purple or purple beard, over a dark signal patch. It can be cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, if it does not get too wet during summer.

<i>Iris hermona</i> Species of flowering plant

Iris hermona, the Golan iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris, and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the pastures and meadows of the Golan Heights in Israel and Syria. It has linear, upright leaves, tall slender stem holding a bi-coloured flower, having a pale lilac, cream-yellow, light tan, or white background, which is then covered in purple brown, or purple, or purple-pink veining, spots or speckling. It has a round purple-brown or almost black signal patch, and a sparse purple brown or almost black beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.

Iris heylandiana is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris, and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the marshlands or fields of Iraq. It has short, linear or sickle shaped grey-green leaves, slender stem, a single flower in spring, which has a dingy-white, whitish, or pale background, which is covered in many spots or dark veining, in black-purple, brown-purple, or brown violet, or brown shades. It has a dark brown or burgundy brown signal patch and white tinged with yellow or orange white sparse beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.

<i>Iris iberica</i> Species of plant

Iris iberica is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus mountains of Armenia, eastern Georgia, and western Azerbaijan. It has narrow, glaucous, gray-green and sickle shaped leaves, short stem holding a single flower in late spring. Which has a pale background covered with heavy veining in pale mauve, violet, dark purple, maroon or purple-brown. It has a black or dark purple signal patch and a brown or purple-brown beard. Although, it has many hybrid forms dues to its variability and has 2 known subspecies of Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima and Iris iberica subsp. lycotis. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it is hardier than other Oncocyclus species.

<i>Iris iberica <span style="font-style:normal;">subsp.</span> elegantissima</i> Subspecies of flowering plant

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.

<i>Iris lortetii</i> Species of plant

Iris lortetii is a species in the genus Iris. It has straight grey-green leaves, a 30–50 cm tall stem, and large showy flowers in late spring or mid-summer that come in shades of pink, from white, lilac, pale lavender and grey-purple. It is veined and dotted pink or maroon. It has a signal patch that is deep maroon and a sparse and brown, purple-brown or reddish beard.

<i>Iris petrana</i> Species of plant

Iris petrana, commonly known as the Petra iris, is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Oncocyclus section. It has spring blooming flowers that come in shades from burgundy, dark brown to dark violet and purple. They have yellow or dark 'beards' and flower over sword-like grey-green leaves. It is normally found in the desert sands between the countries of Jordan and Israel.

<i>Iris susiana</i> Species of plant

Iris susiana, commonly known as the mourning iris, is a species of perennial plant in the family Iridaceae. The mourning iris is native to the Middle East. It grows in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey, although it is believed to be extinct in the wild. It is popular as a cut flower as the flowers can easily span 12 centimeters. The survival of the species is seriously threatened by excessive picking.

Iris westii is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Oncocyclus section. It is from the mountain sides of Lebanon. It has curved grey-green leaves, a stem carrying one flower in shades of lilac, white or beige with spotting or veins in a darker shade or violet. The lower petals have deep velvety chocolate or deep violet-black signal patch and a purple beard. It rare and threatened due to habitat destruction, from military actions, overgrazing by goats and other factors.

Iris yebrudii is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Oncocyclus section. It is from the hillsides of Syria. It has curved leaves, often hiding a single stem and the spring flower is pale yellow, covered in fine spots, veining and has a dark purple signal patch and purple beard.

References

  1. 1 2 "Iris basaltica Dinsm. is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). 23 March 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 Ghazal, Abdullah (2008). "Landscape Ecological, Phytosociological and Geobotanical Study of Eu-Mediterranean in West of Syria" (PDF). opus.uni-hohenheim.de (University of Hohenheim). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Weymouth, C. G.; Chaudhary, S. A. (1974). "Karyotypes of Iris subgenus Susiana species in Lebanon and Syria". Bot. Notiser. 127: 513–521.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 British Iris Society (1997) A Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation , p. 72, at Google Books
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Iris summary" (PDF). pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  6. ↑ "Iris basaltica Dinsmore". florasyria.com. Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Gilbert, Henry G. (1939). "Bulbs and Roots – Supplement, American Colony Stores (Jerusalem, Palestine)" . Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  8. 1 2 Austin, Claire (2005). Irises; A Garden Encyclopedia. Timber Press. ISBN   0881927309.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Black, John (21 January 2016). "(SPEC) Iris basaltica Dins". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society). Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  10. 1 2 Avishai, Michael; Zohary, Daniel (1977). "Chromosomes in the Oncocyclus Irises". Botanical Gazette. 138 (4): 502–511. doi:10.1086/336956. JSTOR   2473887.
  11. ↑ David Gledhill The Names of Plants , p. 66, at Google Books
  12. 1 2 "Iridaceae Iris basaltica Dinsm". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index). Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  13. 1 2 3 "Iris basaltica". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  14. 1 2 Archibald, Jim (September 1999). "Silken Sad Uncertain Queens" (PDF). Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  15. ↑ "Iris basaltica". eol.org. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  16. ↑ "Accepted scientific name: Iris basaltica Dinsm. (accepted name)". catalogueoflife.org. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  17. ↑ J. R. Goodin and David K. Northington (Editors) Plant Resources of Arid and Semiarid Lands: A Global Perspective , p. 179, at Google Books
  18. ↑ Tabbaa, Dr. Darem. "Syrian Iris Flowers for the celebration of the International Day for Biodiversity 2009" . Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Lansdown, R.V. (2016). "Iris basaltica". iucnredlist.com (IUCN Red List of Threatened Species). Retrieved 15 July 2016.
  20. ↑ Saad, Layla; Talhouk, Salma N.; Mahy, Grégory (2009). "Decline of endemic Oncocyclus irises (Iridaceae) of Lebanon: survey and conservation needs" (PDF). Oryx. 43 (1): 91–96. doi: 10.1017/s0030605308000380 . Retrieved 6 July 2016.
  21. ↑ Kerry Scott Walter, Harriet J. Gillett, World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants , p. 678, at Google Books
  22. ↑ "How to divide iris rhizomes". gardenersworld.com. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
  23. ↑ Waters, Tom (December 2010). "Growing Irises from Seed". telp.com. Retrieved 28 April 2016.
  24. ↑ David G Spoerke and Susan C. Smolinske Toxicity of Houseplants , p. 236, at Google Books

Sources

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