Iris forrestii

Last updated

Iris forrestii
Scientific classification Red Pencil Icon.png
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. Sibiricae
Species:
I. forrestii
Binomial name
Iris forrestii
Synonyms [1]

Limniris forrestii(Dykes) Rodion.

Iris forrestii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iris , also the subgenus Limniris and in the series Sibiricae . It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from China (including Tibet) and Burma. It has linear grassy-like leaves, long thin stem and fragrant yellow or lemon-yellow flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

Contents

Description

Iris forrestii is similar in form to the smaller Iris wilsonii . [2] It has short thick, rhizomes that form dense clumps of plants. [3] [4] The base of the plant is covered by fibres from the remains of the previous season’s leaves. [3]

It has linear, grassy-like leaves that are grey-green with one dull side and the other side a glossy green or yellow-green. [5] [6] [7] The leaves grow to between 11–50 cm (4.5–19.5 in) long and 2–7 mm (0.079–0.276 in) wide. [8] [9] The leaves are shorter than the flower stems. [6] [10] [11]

It has a slender, hollow, flowering stem that grows up to between 15–45 cm (6–17.5 in) long and 2–3 mm wide. [12] [8] [13] In the wild, the plants are much smaller starting from 15 cm (6 in). [13] The stem has between 1 and 2 smaller leaves (or bracts). [6] [9] The unbranched stems have between 1 and 2 flowers at the terminal ends, in early summer, between May and June. [7] [10] [11]

It has 3 green lanceolate (sword-shaped) spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which have a slight reddish-purple edge and measuring 5.5–7 cm (2.2–2.8 in) long and 1–1.2 cm (0.39–0.47 in) wide. [3] [9]

The yellow or lemon-yellow flowers are slightly fragrant, [14] [15] [16] and are about 5–6 cm (2–2.5 in) in diameter. [6] [7]

It has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (outer petals) known as the falls and 3 – 4 inner, smaller petals (or tepals), known as the standards. [5] The drooping (obovate shaped) falls have a wide blade (about 1 inch wide and 4 inches long), which have purple-brown or red-brown stripes, lines or spots over a deeper yellow centre or signal patch. [17] [14] [15] The upright and oblanceolate standards are narrower than the falls, [9] [10] [11] with slightly curled edges. [3] [4] It has a perianth tube of 1.3 cm long, 3 cm long stamens, brown-yellow anthers and large pale yellow, arching style branches (almost as big as the standards) 4-4.5 cm long and 1.4–1.6 cm wide. [3] [9]

In July and August (after blooming) it has a pale green ovary (seed case), [9] containing the (ellipsoid shaped) seed capsule, measuring 4–4.5 cm long and 1.5–1.8 cm wide. [3] [4] The capsule has 6 ribs and a beaked point. Inside the capsule are semi-orbicular seeds. [3]

Biochemistry

As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes. This can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. [5] It has a chromosome count: 2n=40, [10] [17] [14] discovered by Sim 1932. [18] This places it within the sub-group of the series, called the Sino-siberians. [5]

Taxonomy

It is written as 云南鸢尾 in Chinese script, and known as 'yun nan yuan wei' in Pidgin. [3] [19]

Iris forrestii is pronounced EYE-ris FOR-est-ee-eye. [20] [21]

It has the common name of Forrest's iris, [12] [15] [22] or occasionally as Yunnan Iris. [19] [18] [23] The Latin specific epithet forresti refers to the 19th century plant collector and explorer George Forrest. [24]

It was first published and described by William Rickatson Dykes in Gardeners' Chronicle (of London), on page 418 in 1910. [25] Using plants that were collected from one of George Forrest's favourite plant collecting areas, the Cang Mountain in the province of Yunnan in China. [15]

Dykes, later published it in his book 'The Genus Iris' in 1913 (with a colour illustration). Then in 1924, it was shown by Wal, at the Annual Meeting of the R.H.S. and then noted in the Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society 50, Jan. 1925. Also Waddick & Zhao mentioned Iris forrestii in 'Iris of China', 1992 (with a colour illustration). [18]

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 2 October 2014. [19]

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit since 1994, [15] [20] as well as being an accepted name. [26] [27]

Distribution and habitat

Iris forrestii is native to tropical and temperate Asia. [19]

Range

It is found in China, [2] [17] (within the provinces of Guizhou, [19] eastern Xizang, [13] (also known as Tibet), western Yunnan, [11] [28] and southern Sichuan, including the 'Lichiang Range', [2] ), and also found in north east Burma (once known as Myanmar). [3] [8]

Habitat

It grows on the alpine meadows and mountain pastures at altitudes of 2,900–4,300 m (9,500–14,100 ft) above sea level. [2] [4] [8] [29]

Cultivation

The Sino-siberian irises all generally have similar cultivation requirements. [5] Although Iris forrestii is known as being easy to grow. [10] They are not as hardy as the other group of Siberian irises. [5] They also don't like very hot conditions either. If it losses too much moisture it will wither and die. [16] [29] Preferring the northern parts of America and United States to the overly warm southern America. They will tolerate temperatures of up to – 10 degrees C. But may survive lower if protected or well mulched in winter. [5]

It is hardy to USDA Zone 2–9, known as 'Hardy' in the UK, in Australia Zone 1–3, [12] [20] and Zone H2 (which means Hardy to −15 to-20 °C (5 to −4 °F [30] ) in Europe. [6]

They prefer soils with a ph level of 5.5 to 7 (acidic to neutral) and more moisture tolerant. [4] [7] [31] It is thought to be fairly easy to grow in most soils. [15] They are also tolerant of windy conditions, [31] except just after being planted. [29] They like wet soils, but only during the growing season, if the rhizome and roots are exposed to constant moisture, it is likely to suffer from fungal infections. [16] [21]

Unlike, other Sino-Siberians, Iris forrestii prefers positions in partial shade but can tolerate full sun. Although, they produce less flowers in sunny positions. [12]

They can be mulched with peat or garden compost in spring. [11] [31] They can also be fed in spring with a general fertiliser but it is not essential. [5]

They can be divided after flowering (in early summer) if the clumps become too big and congested, [11] or if the centre of the plant is too old to produce flowers. [8] Also propagation is easier carried out by division of the rhizomes, rather than growing from seed which takes at least 3 years to get the plant to flowering maturity. [31]

New plants should be re-planted or planted 25 cm (10 in)s) apart and 10 cm (4 in) deep, [11] [31] into weed free conditions. New plants can then be planted in spring or autumn. [5] [31] But the ground needs to be prepared before planting. New plants should be well watered during the first season, [31] and also take at least 2 years to become established. [5]

They can be used in gardens, at waterside locations beside pools or streams. [10] But with some dryness during the year. [16]

A specimen exists in Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, which was collected by Forrest on 15 June 1906. [32]

Hybrids and cultivars

It can easily hybridize with other members of the Sibericae series. [4]

Known Iris forrestii cultivars include 'Gelber Knirps', 'King's Forrest', 'Tetrafor', 'Yellow Apricot', [18] and 'Charm of Finches'. [4]

Known Iris forrestii crosses;

Crosses between the series Sibericae and the series Californicae are often referred to as Cal-Sibes. [18] They are generally smaller than typical Siberian iris, but taller than Pacific Coast irises. They have semi-evergreen foliage, and flowers that are 5–7 cm (2–3 in) in diameter. They are best grown in rich, well-drained soil in sun or part shade. [33]

Toxicity

All parts of plant (rhizome, leaf and flower) are poisonous if ingested. [21]

Related Research Articles

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

Iris sibirica, is a species in the genus Iris. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from Europe and Central Asia. 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 regions.

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

Iris chrysographes, the black iris, is a plant species that belongs to the genus Iris. It is native to Southern China and Myanmar (Burma), growing in meadows, streamsides, hillsides and forest margins.

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

Iris confusa (; also known as the bamboo iris is a species of iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and in the section Lophiris. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, native to Western China. It has flowers which range from white to a soft lavender or pale blue in colour, with orange-yellow crests and purple dots. The plant's broad, shiny leaves are attached to bamboo-like stems. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

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

Iris milesii is a plant species in the genus Iris, subgenus Limniris and in the section Lophiris. It is a rhizomatous, beardless perennial plant, native to the Himalayas, India and China. It has pinkish-violet, or pinkish purple, or pinkish-lavender or pinkish lilac flowers, with a fringed yellow or orange crest. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

<i>Roscoea forrestii</i> Species of flowering plant

Roscoea forrestii is a perennial herbaceous plant occurring in the Sichuan and Yunnan provinces of China. Most members of the ginger family (Zingiberaceae), to which it belongs, are tropical, but R. forrestii, like other species of Roscoea, grows in much colder mountainous regions. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental plant in gardens. It was named after George Forrest (1873-1932) who discovered it in Yunnan.

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

Iris delavayi is a species of flowering plant in the subgenus Limniris and in the series Sibiricae of the family Iridaceae. This rhizomatous herbaceous perennial comes from various provinces in China. It has grey-green leaves, long hollow stem, and 2 flowers in various blue shades. From dark violet, dark purple, purple-blue, dark blue to light purple. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

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

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, found between Russia, Mongolia, China, Japan and Korea. It has grey green leaves, an unbranched flowering stem and flowers in reddish-purple shades, from blue to blue-purple, red-violet, with a rare white variant.

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

Iris variegata is a plant species in the genus Iris, also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial from eastern Europe. It has dark green, ribbed leaves. The branched flowering stems can be as tall as the leaves, they can hold 2–3 flowers in summer. They are yellowish-white, with brown-purple veins on the drooping falls. It is very hardy and it is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. There are several cultivars.

Iris subg. Nepalensis is one subgenus of Iris, also known as 'Himalayan irises'. It was formerly genus Junopsis.

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

Iris bulleyana is a species in the genus Iris, also the subgenus Limniris and in the series Sibiricae. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from South west China, including Myanmar and Tibet. It has long thin green leaves,

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

Iris clarkei is a species in the genus Iris, also the subgenus of Limniris and in the series Sibiricae. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from Asia, including north east India, Nepal, Tibet, Bhutan, Burma and in China. It has grey-green leaves, long and thin green stem and violet, to dark blue, to blue or reddish purple flowers.

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

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 violet-blue flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

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

Iris wilsonii is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae, native to China. It is placed in the series Sibiricae of the subgenus Limniris of the genus Iris. This rhizomatous herbaceous perennial has long and drooping grey-green leaves, hollow stems and two fragrant yellow, pale yellow or yellow/white flowers.

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

Iris wattii is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and the section Lophiris. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant. It is native to China, Burma and India, it has lavender or light blue flowers. It is also known as 'Bamboo Iris'. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

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, slender stem and 2 bright or pale yellow flowers. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

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

Iris hoogiana is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Regelia. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the grassy mountainsides of Turkestan. It has long green leaves, which are slightly purple at the base, and a long slender flowering stem. The flowers are blue, ranging from sky-blue to lavender blue and blue purple. It has orange or yellow beards. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

Iris goniocarpa is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the section Pseudoregelia. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from China, India, Burma and Bhutan. It has yellow green to dark green, long leaves, slender stem and, one flower between blue, lavender-blue, lilac, blue-violet or blue-purple. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

Iris sikkimensis is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Pseudoregelia. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Sikkim. It has pale green or light green thin leaves, slender stem, 2 or 3 lilac or purple flowers, with a white beard with orange tips. It is thought to be a hybrid of Iris hookeriana and Iris kumaonensis.

<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 subbiflora</i> Species of plant

Iris subbiflora is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Portugal and Spain in Europe. It has evergreen broad leaves, forming dense clumps, it has dwarf stems in late spring,, with 1 upright fragrant flower, in shades of purple, light red purple, grey-blue, blue-violet, or dark violet. It has a beard which is generally blue, purple, or violet, but can fade to white, dull yellow, or dark yellow. After being found in 1804, it was once a separate species until the late 70s, when it was reclassified as subspecies of Iris lutescens, and renamed Iris lutescens subsp. subbiflora. But in the 80s it was returned to an independent species but some authors and references still class the species as a synonym or subspecies. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

References

  1. ↑ "Iris forrestii Dykes is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Adapted from Dykes, The Genus *Iris, p. 30" (PDF). ars-grin.gov. Retrieved 15 December 2014.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "FOC Vol. 24 Page 300". efloras.org. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Phillips, Roger; Rix, Martyn (1991). Perennials Vol. 1. Pan Books Ltd. p. 188. ISBN   9780330327749.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Austin, Claire (2005). Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia. Timber Press, Incorporated. ISBN   978-0881927306. OL   8176432M.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification , p. 259, at Google Books
  7. 1 2 3 4 Christopher Bricknell, ed. (1994) [1st. pub.=1989]. Gardeners' Encyclopedia of Plants and Flowers 7th Edition (Revised ed.). Dorling Kindersley. p. 522. ISBN   978-0751301472.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iris". rslandscapedesign.blogspot.co.uk. 13 February 2010. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dykes, William. "Dykes on Iris" (PDF). beardlessiris.org (The Group for Beardless Irises). Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Stebbings, Geoff (1997). The Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises . Newton Abbot: David and Charles. ISBN   978-0715305393.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Cassidy, George E.; Linnegar, Sidney (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. ISBN   978-0-88192-089-5.
  12. 1 2 3 4 "Iris". bhg.com (Better Homes and Gardens). Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  13. 1 2 3 British Iris Society (1997) A Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation at Google Books
  14. 1 2 3 "Iris summary" (PDF). pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Iris forrestii AGM". exclusiveplants.co.uk. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Nick Romanowski Water Garden Plants & Animals: The Complete Guide for All Australia , p. 80, at Google Books
  17. 1 2 3 Kramb, D. (November 2003). "Iris forrestii". signa.org. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Black, John (2014-10-12). "(SPEC) Iris forrestii Dykes". wiki.irises.org. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iris forrestii". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  20. 1 2 3 "Iris forrestii". gardenaway.com. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  21. 1 2 3 "PlantFiles: Yellow Iris, Iris forrestii". davesgarden.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  22. ↑ "Iris forrestii". plant-world-seeds.com. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  23. ↑ "Yunnan Iris". tl.swewe.net. Retrieved 19 December 2014.
  24. ↑ Sue Gordon (Editor) Horticulture – Plant Names Explained: Botanical Terms and Their Meaning , p. 84, at Google Books
  25. ↑ "Iridaceae Iris forrestii Dykes". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index). Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  26. ↑ "Iris". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 18 December 2014.
  27. ↑ "AGM Plants – Ornamental" (PDF). Royal Horticultural Society. July 2017. p. 53. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  28. ↑ "Wildlife of Yunnan Part Four". robs-journeys.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
  29. 1 2 3 Dykes, William (2009). "Handbook of Garden Irises" (PDF). beardlessiris.org (The Group for Beardless Irises). Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  30. ↑ "Plant Hardiness". theseedsite.co.uk. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
  31. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Siberian Irises". herbs2000.com. Retrieved 16 December 2014.
  32. ↑ "Filed as Iris forrestii Dykes [family IRIDACEAE]". plants.jstor.org. Retrieved 17 December 2014.Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  33. ↑ "Cal-Sib Iris". cascadiairisgardens.com. Retrieved 20 December 2014.

Wikispecies-logo.svg Data related to Iris forresti at Wikispecies

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.