Iris caucasica

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Iris caucasica
IMG 5527-Iris caucasica.jpg
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. Scorpiris
Section: Iris sect. Scorpiris
Species:
I. caucasica
Binomial name
Iris caucasica
Synonyms [1]
  • Iris caucasica turcica
  • Coresantha caucasica(Hoffm.)
  • Costia caucasica(Hoffm.) Willk.
  • Iris caucasica subsp. caucasica
  • Juno caucasica(Hoffm.) Tratt.
  • Neubeckia caucasica(Hoffm.) Alef.
  • Thelysia caucasica(Hoffm.) Parl.
  • Xiphion caucasicum(Hoffm.) Baker

Iris caucasica (also known as Caucasian iris) [2] [3] is a species of plant in the genus Iris , it is also in the subgenus of Scorpiris. Pronounced as 'kaw-KAS-ee-kuh'. [4]

Contents

It is a bulbous perennial.

It was described in 1808 by Georg Hoffman in Commentat. Soc. Phys.-Med. Univ. Litt. Caes. Mosq. [5]

It was once confused with Iris orchioides , but Iris caucasica is a smaller plant, with sessile flowers. Also it has leaves that have white margins. [6]

Iris caucasica is an accepted name by the Royal Horticultural Society. [2]

Habit

It has a brown ovoid bulb with fleshy roots. [6] It is similar in form to Iris persica . [3]

It has grey green leaves, [7] which are ciliate [8] and that start growing at flowering time. [9] They reach up to 10–12 cm long and l-2 cm wide. [8] The leaves have a faint white margin. [10]

It has between 1–4 flowers per stem, normally pale yellow or green and with winged falls. [9] The falls also have a yellow ridge. [7] The flowers are 5–15 cm (2–6 in) across. [9] It flowers in late spring. [8] It eventually reaches a height of 15 cm (flower and stem). [8] The flowers are not fragrant. [6]

Native

Iris caucasica grows on limestone mountain slopes (at 1200-3500m above sea level) [8] in Turkey [7] and Armenia and Azerbaijan, [11] in the Caucasus mountains. [7] Bieberstein notes seeing it near Tbilisi in the South Caucasus. [3] It has also been found in Israel and Iran. [10]

Hybrids

In 1892, Michael Foster introduced a hybrid version Iris Caucasica 'Kharput'. [4] which does not have winged falls. [9] It still has 4–5 flowers per stem, which are greenish-yellow. But they are generally larger than parent plant. [6]

Folk use

A survey of plants used as folk medicine showed that Iris caucasica Hoffm. subsp. turcica (or Sarı nevroz, a local name used in Ovacık, Dersim) has been used as for folk medicine in Turkey. The flowers have been used in an infusion to treat colds. [12]

Related Research Articles

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

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

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

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

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

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<i>Iris orchioides</i> Species of orchid

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

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

Iris notha is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and series Spuriae. It is a rhizomatous perennial with deep blue or violet flowers from the Caucasus region. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It was once Iris spuria subsp. notha, and can often be found under that name. It has the common name of fake iris or mimic iris in Russia.

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

Iris pontica is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and in series Spuriae. It is a dwarf rhizomatous perennial plant from eastern Europe, the Causcasus region and Russia, with a short stem and violet-blue and white flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

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

Iris furcata, the forked iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus mountains, in the countries of Moldavia and the southern Ukraine. It has short, narrow, sword-shaped leaves. A slender stem, that branches beyond the midpoint, holding small purple, deep purple, blue-violet, light blue or violet flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is often regarded as a synonym of Iris aphylla, but it has chromosomal and morphological differences, so it may considered to be a parent species instead.

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

Iris imbricata is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus mountains, within Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. It has broad, sword-like, yellow green or light green leaves, slender stem with branches, inflated and overlapping green spathes, and 2–5 yellow, pale yellow or greenish yellow flowers.

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

Iris junonia is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Cilicia, within the Taurus Mountains. It has glaucous short leaves, tall stems with several branches, numerous flowers in various colours from blue-purple, lavender, pale blue, cream, white and yellow, with brown veining and white tipped orange beards. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. Its status is still unclear, if it is a synonym of Iris germanica or a separate species.

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

Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris. It is a subspecies of Iris acutiloba, and is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of Iran, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Azerbaijan. It has narrow, lanceolate, or falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves, which are grey-green and glaucous. It has a slender straight stem holding one terminal flower. The flowers, come in shades of white, cream, or creamy white and have veining that is purple or brown, or a mixture of both. It is heavily veined or streaked in purple or brown, with a dark purple-brown, spot on 3 of the outer petals and brown, dark purple, or black short beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, unless grown in a greenhouse.

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

Iris acutiloba is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountains of the Caucasus and found in Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Dagestan in the North Caucasus, and Iran. It is a dwarf species, with narrow, falcate or curved leaves, it has one flower in spring or early summer, that comes in shades from cream, creamy white, whitish, pale brown, light grey, to pale violet. It is heavily veined or streaked and pointed, with 2 dark spots and brown, purple, dark purple, or black short beard. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. There are two subspecies, Iris acutiloba subsp. lineolata and Iris acutiloba subsp. longitepala.

Iris camillae 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 Azerbaijan. It has narrow, falcate (sickle-shaped) leaves, medium-sized stem and large flowers, where the flower colour is very variable, ranging from violet, purple, pale blue, and also yellow, and occasionally bi-colour forms are found. It has a yellow beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, due to its environmental conditions of its natural habitat.

<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 sari</i> Species of plant

Iris sari is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in section Oncocyclus. It is from the rocky steppes and hills of Turkey. It has curved or straight leaves, cream, greenish or yellowish flowers which are variable and veined with crimson, purple-brown, reddish brown, reddish-purple or black. It has a dark maroon, rich crimson or brown signal patch and gold or yellow beard.

References

  1. "Iris caucasica Hoffm". www.theplantlist.org. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Iris caucasica". Royal Horticultural Society. Retrieved 11 August 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 Robert Sweet, Edwin Dalton Smith (1904) The British Flower Garden: Containing Coloured Figures & Descriptions of the Most Ornamental & Curious Hardy Herbaceous Plants (1829) , p. 255, at Google Books
  4. 1 2 "Iris caucasica 'Caucasica Kharput'". davesgarden.com. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  5. "Iris caucasica Hoffm". apps.kew.org. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Lynch, Richard (1904) The Book of the Iris , p. 176, at Google Books
  7. 1 2 3 4 "JunoIrises". www.pacificbulbsociety.org. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iris caucasica". encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net. 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Cassidy, G.E.; Linnegar, S. (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. p. 146. ISBN   0-88192-089-4.
  10. 1 2 "Iris - Caucasus Yellow,Caucasus Yellow Iris". www.searchlifeforms.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  11. "Iris caucasica". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 15 August 2014.
  12. Tuzlaci, Ertan; Doğan, Ahmet (2010-09-03). "Turkish folk medicinal plants, IX: Ovacik (Tunceli)". Marmara Pharmaceutical Journal. 14 (3): 136–143. doi:10.12991/201014449. ISSN   1309-0801.

Sources

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Iris caucasica at Wikimedia Commons Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Iris caucasica at Wikispecies