Iris gatesii | |
---|---|
Illustration from Curtis's Botanical Magazine in 1902 | |
Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Iridaceae |
Genus: | Iris |
Subgenus: | Iris subg. Iris |
Section: | Iris sect. Oncocyclus |
Species: | I. gatesii |
Binomial name | |
Iris gatesii | |
Synonyms [1] | |
None known |
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.
It has a small, [2] compact and stout rhizome, [3] [4] [5] which is about 2 cm in diameter. [4] They are very similar in form to Iris susiana . [5] They form creeping plants, [6] that can spread up to 1 or 2 feet wide. [7]
It has 5 to 7, greyish green, [2] [3] [4] or glaucous-green leaves, which are linear, [6] narrow and straight. [3] [8] They are in a distichous (two-ranked leaf arrangement) fan. [9] The leaves can grow up to between 30–60 cm (12–24 in) long, [6] [10] and between 0.5 and 1.1 cm wide. [3] [4] [8] They are semi-evergreen, [7] and fade in summer, to re-grow in winter. [2] They are a darker shade of green and smaller, shorter and narrower, than I. susiana. [5]
It has a stout stem or peduncle, [6] [8] [11] that can grow in March, [2] up to between 35–60 cm (14–24 in) tall. [12] [13] : 129 [14] The stem is also taller than the stem of I. susiana. [5]
The stem has pale green spathes, (leaves of the flower bud), that are between 10–12.5 cm (4–5 in) long. [5] [6]
The stems hold a single terminal (top of stem) flower, [2] [6] [9] blooming in late spring, [7] between April and June. [4] [15] [16] : 191
The large flowers are between 13–20 cm (5–8 in) in diameter, [4] [11] [14] they are the largest of the Oncocyclus series, [10] (including I. susiana, [5] [17] ) and of all irises, [8] [15] [18] except the Japanese hybrids. [17]
The flowers are very variable in colouring, [8] [14] [19] ranging from a pale greenish, [13] : 76 [15] [20] grey, [11] [12] [19] silver, [17] white, [5] [7] [10] pinkish, [6] beige, [2] or creamy-yellow background colour. [4] [8] [9] Which is then covered with many brown, [11] purplish-brown, [19] [21] purple, [2] [9] [15] violet, [17] or nearly black, [4] spots, dots, [6] [9] short broken lines, [8] or veining. [2] [7] [11]
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'. [16] : 17 The obovate (narrower end at the base) or elliptic shaped falls, can curl gently under, [12] [16] : 191 and they are 8–11 cm (3–4 in) long, [5] and 5–8 cm (2–3 in) wide. [4] [6] They can be more veined, speckled than the standards, [4] [16] : 191 or the falls having spots while the standards having vein markings. [5] The massed purple dots or lines on a creamy white background creates a soft grey flower, when seen from a distance. [18] The ovate or rounded shaped standards, [5] [15] are 8–13 cm (3–5 in) long, [5] [20] and 7–9 cm (3–4 in) wide, and slightly paler than the falls. [4]
In the centre of the falls, is a dark, [16] : 191 purple signal patch, [13] : 129 which is variable in size, (between large and very small, [8] [15] [21] ) and can be hidden under the beard. [5] [14] Also in the middle of the falls, is a sparse, [8] [16] : 191 [21] or broad, (2-2.5 cm wide, [4] [17] ) and long (halfway down the falls, [9] [17] ) row of short hairs called the 'beard', which are purple, [5] [9] brownish purple, [6] [11] [17] or yellow. [4] [8] [11]
It has style arms that are a similar colour to the standards, [4] [16] : 191 (including yellow or white spotted with purple, [5] [14] ) and 5 cm (2 in) wide, [6] with purple dots, [5] [14] or veining. [6]
It has a 12.5–17.5 cm (5–7 in) long pedicel, with a short perianth tube, [6] it has white filaments and anthers that are often tipped purple. [14]
After the iris has flowered, it produces a seed capsule, that is 7.5 cm (3 in) long and 2.5 cm wide. [4] [6]
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. [2] [19] It was counted in June 1956, I. gatesii, Iris susiana, Iris lortetii , and Iris sofarana were found to have exclusively chromosomes with sub-terminal centromeres. [22] It was also counted in 1977 by Avishai & Zohary. [14] [23] In 2014, it was found that the genome of the plastid, found in the iris, unlike orchid genomes, has little gene loss and rearrangement and is likely to be similar to other genomes from Asparagales order. [9]
In America, it was once known as 'Monarch Iris', [14] [20] and as the 'Prince of Irises'. [5] [21]
The Latin specific epithet gatesii refers to Rev. Gates, [24] an American Missionary staying in Mardin, Northern Mesopotamia, [15] (now part of Turkey). Some sources name him as 'Rev. T. J. Gates', [15] others as 'Rev T.G. Gates', [5] [21] or 'Rev. F.S. Gates'. [6] [24] Caleb Frank Gates, Sr. (1847-1956) was a missionary at Mardin from 1881 to 1887. [25]
'Iris gatesii' was found near Mardin, [9] in the mountains of Kurdistan, [8] by the botanist, collector and bulb nurseryman Paul Sintenis, [8] who worked for Mr. Max Leichtlin (from Baden-Baden, Germany), [6] [8] with the help of Rev. Gates. [5]
It was then first published by Michael Foster in the 'Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society' (J. Roy. Hort. Soc.) Volume 11 on page 144 in 1889, [24] then in fully described in Gardeners' Chronicle series 3, Volume 8, page18 on 5 July 1890, [5] [26] with an illustration. [8]
It was later published in The Garden Feb 18 1893, page 130 (with illustration on plate 897), [5] in the Botanical Magazine 7867 in 1902 (with illustration) and in the 'Bulletin of the Alpine Garden Society' 39 page 287 in 1971. [3]
It gained an FCC ('First Class Certificate', awarded by the RHS, [27] ) in 1891 when shown by Van Tubergen (bulb nursery). [8] It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, then updated on 1 December 2004. [26] It is listed in the Catalogue of Life, [28] and is a tentatively accepted name by the RHS. [29]
It is native to temperate Asia, [26] mainly in Asia Minor. [20]
Some sources state that it is found in Armenia, [5] [24] but it range is more to the north of that region, [6] in South-eastern Turkey, [19] [30] [31] (within the districts of Urfa, Mardin and Siirt). [4] It is also found in north-eastern Iraq. [11] [19] [30] (within the districts of Amadiya and Penjwin). [4]
It grows on rocky limestone hillsides, [9] [11] on steppes, [8] on slopes and in rock crevices. [4] They can be found at an altitude of 1,050 to 2,000 m (3,440 to 6,560 ft) above sea level. [4] [8] [21]
It is range and habitat is a small region, [9] and the plant was listed by the IUCN as 'rare'. [8] [32] As of September 2016, it was currently un-assessed, and the effects of the Gulf War are unknown and undetermined. [33]
Due to its range being much farther north than most Oncocyclus irises, [4] it is more hardy in cultivation, [8] than others. [17] It is hardy to between USDA Zone 8 to 9. [7]
It prefers to grow in well-drained soils, [7] [20] including light rich loam diluted with 1/3 old mortar rubble, [34] or rich compost. [35] It also likes a deep limestone gravel mulch. [7] [35]
It prefers sites in full sun, [7] [20] and can be grown in raised bed, [34] or an open border. [6] It likes moisture at the root tips, but the rhizomes are liable to rot in excessive water. [35]
It is recommended (by Dykes) to be planted in October, [15] with the rhizomes planted about 2 inches from the surface. [7]
It is susceptible to virus infections when in cultivation, [4] including from Iris mosaic virus. [36] Which produces some necrotic lesions in the leaves and then followed by systemic leaf chlorosis. This strain of virus also attacks Belamcanda chinensis , Iris pumila and Iris ricardi . [37]
Irises can generally be propagated by division, [38] 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. [39]
In 1897, an illustration in The Garden magazine of 31 July, showed a border in Mr Van Tubergen's nursery with 400 flowers, which are the results of 3 seasons of cultivation of the irises. [5]
It has several cultivars such as 'Bailey's Cream', [40] 'Corn Yellow', 'Gatesii Ball', [41] and 'Hand Of God'. [14] [42]
It has also been used in several crosses with other irises. Including; 'I. gatesii' X Iris sari – 'Abou Ben Adhem', [43] 'I. gatesii' X Iris lortetii – 'Aphrodite' and 'Bedouin Queen', [44] 'I. gatesii' X Iris susiana – 'Tehama', [45] 'I. gatesii' X Iris haynei – 'Arabian Knight', [46] 'I. gatesii' X Iris mariae – 'Desert Gem', [47] 'I. gatesii' X Iris nazarena – 'Platinum Diamond', [48] 'I. gatesii' X Iris korolkowii – 'Dream Step', [49] and 'Eos'. [14] [50]
Tall Bearded Iris 'Parisiana' x 'I. gatesii' has been used in hybridization since the 1930s, [51] including Iris 'William Mohr'. [17] [52]
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. [53]
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 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.
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/Palestine 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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 haynei, the Faqqu'a Iris or Gilboa iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, subgenus Iris and section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the shrublands and mountainsides mostly in Palestine, on the Gilboa mountain. It has smooth, linear or lanceolate, greyish-green leaves. Long slender stem and in Spring, large, fragrant flowers in shades of deep purple, violet, purple, brownish purple or dusky lilac veining or speckling over a pale ground. It has a dark purple, black-brown, to blackish signal patch, and a beard, which is variable from dark purple, white, or dark tipped yellow. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.
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.
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.
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 mariae 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 deserts of Israel, Egypt and Palestine. It is fairly tall, with long and slender glaucous leaves, and in late spring, lilac-purple to pinkish or violet flowers with deeper veining and blackish-violet signal and dark purple beard.
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.
Iris paradoxa is a species of flowering plant native to western Asia. It has large upright petals and smaller lower petals, which is unique amongst most iris forms. They come in various shades from white, lavender, mauve, medium purple, violet, dark purple to black. It has a black or purplish black beard on the lower petals. It comes from the region of Transcaucasia, and is found in the countries of Iran, Turkey, Armenia and in Azerbaijan.
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 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.
Iris sprengeri 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 slopes of Turkey. It has large flowers which are white, silver-white or cream, with purple-red or reddish-brown veining and a golden yellow beard and a dark purple or deep purple-brown signal patch.
Iris nectarifera is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Oncocyclus section. It is found in Iraq, Syria and southeastern Turkey. It has yellow or cream flowers which have purple veining, a purple signal patch and a yellow beard. It has a known variety from Turkey called I. nectarifera var. mardinensis.
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