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Iris japonica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Iridaceae |
Genus: | Iris |
Subgenus: | Iris subg. Limniris |
Section: | Iris sect. Lophiris |
Species: | I. japonica |
Binomial name | |
Iris japonica | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Iris japonica, commonly known as fringed iris, shaga and butterfly flower, is a native of China and Japan. It is a species in the genus Iris , in the subgenus Limniris and within the Lophiris section. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, with pale blue, lavender or white flowers with an orange or yellow crest. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris japonica is similar in form to Iris confusa , but the leaves are at ground level. [2]
It has short, slender, greenish, creeping rhizomes. [3] It spreads by sending out thin, wiry, [2] long stolons. [4] They are shallow rooted, [5] and form dense carpets and clumps. [6] It is not invasive. [7]
It has basal [3] deep green, [4] dark green, yellowish green, [3] or light green leaves. [8] These are glossy (or shiny) on one side and dull on the other side. [2] They are tinted, reddish purple, close to the rhizome and do not have a midvein. [2] These lance-shaped leaves [9] can grow up to 25–60 cm (10–24 in) tall and 1.5–3.5 cm wide. [3] The leaves are generally described as evergreen, [10] and grow in a broad fan, [9] with arching tips. [7]
It has wiry, stout stems that can grow up to 25–80 cm (10–31 in) tall. [2] The 5–12 short, slender flower-bearing branches [6] (or pedicels) are near the top of the plant. [3] The stiff pedicels can reach between 1.5 and 2.5 cm (1 and 1 in) long. [3] The flowering stem (and branches) grow higher than the leaves. [4] The stems have 3–5 spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which are lanceolate, [4] and 9.5–2.2 cm (4–1 in) long. [6]
The stems (and the many branches) hold between two and four flowers, [3] in spring and early summer, [7] between March and April (in Japan) [3] or April and May. [11] [ verification needed ]
The flowers are like Iris cristata flowers but paler and fancier. The short lasting flowers open in succession (one after another), [12] for between 2 [11] and 5 weeks. [10] These flowers have a clove pinks aroma.
The flattish, [11] flowers are 4.5–6 cm (2–2 in) in diameter, [3] and come in shades of pale blue, [2] or pale lavender, [11] or lilac, [4] or purple, [12] to white. [2]
It has two pairs of petals, three large sepals (outer petals), known as the 'falls' and three inner, smaller petals (or tepals, known as the 'standards'). [12] The falls are elliptic or obovate, with a spreading limb and blue or purple/violet blotching, spots, (or dots) around a central yellow signal patch around a visible yellow, [3] or orange crest. [11] They are 2.5–3 cm (1–1 in) long and 1.4–2 cm wide. The standards are elliptic or narrowly obovate. They are 2.8–3 cm (1–1 in) long and 1.5–2.1 cm wide. The standards spreading to the same plane as the falls, [13] creating the 'flat' look. All the petals are fringed (fimbriated) around the edges. [3]
It has a 1.1–2 cm long perianth tube, 0.8–1.2 cm long stamens, white anthers and 7–10 mm ovary. It has 0.5–0.75 long and pale blue style branches. The terminal lobes are fimbriated (fringed). [3]
After the iris has flowered, between May and June, it produces an ellipsoid-cylindric, non-beaked seed capsule, which is 2.5–3 cm long and 1.2–1.5 cm wide. Inside the capsule, it has dark brown seeds with a small aril. [3]
Tetra-hydroxy-6-methoxyisoflavone, also known as Irilin D (C17H14O7), was found in Iris japonica, Belamcanda chinensis (Iris domestica) and Iris bungei . Junipergenin B (Dalospinosin) can be found in the leaves of Juniperus seravschanica and the roots of Iris japonica. [14]
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. [10] Chromosome numbers in irises have been the subject of numerous studies. Findings include 2n=54, Kazuao, 1929; 2n=34,36, Simonet, 1932; 2n=36, Sharma & Tal., 1960; 2n=36 Kurosawa, 1971; 2n=31,33,54, Chimphamba, 1973; 2n=54, Mao & Xue, 1986; 2n=28,34,36,54, Colasante & Sauer, 1993; 2n=28, Dong et al. 1994; 2n=28 to 60 and Yen, Yang, & Waddick, 1995. [6]
It is a triploid plant (3n chromosomes) that does not produce seed and therefore can not be propagated by vegetative means (seed or division) while in China, it can also be diploid. This is the reason why the Japanese think that a triploid specimen was imported from China to Japan. Then over time, it has become naturalized. Plants growing wild in Japan were counted as 2n=54 for infertile triploid forms. In China, wild forms are counted as 2n=36. [15]
It has the common names of 'fringed iris', [12] 'Shaga' (in Japan), [16] and butterfly flower (in China). [17]
It is written as 蝴蝶花 in Chinese script, [3] and known as hu die hua in Pidgin in China. [3] It is written as シ ャ ガ, 射干 in Japanese script.
The Latin specific epithet japonica refers to from Japan, even though the plant is thought to have originated in China.
Iris japonica was first named by Carl Peter Thunberg, (the Swedish botanist) in his 1784 publication, 'Flora Japonica'. [17] It was introduced to Europe in 1792 from China, by Thomas Evans of the East India Company. [12] It was then first published and described by Thunberg in Transactions of the Linnean Society of London (Trans. Linn. Soc. London) Volume 2 page 327 on 1 May 1794. [3] [6] [12] The species description was published in Curtis Botanical Magazine in 1797. [4] Iris fimbriata was later classified as a synonym of Iris japonica. [1]
It has received an Award of Garden Merit from the RHS. [12] [18]
It is native to temperate and tropical regions of Asia. [19]
As it is a triploid plant in Japan, which means the plant does not produce any seed, all of the habitat expansion is thought to be artificial. Though it can be found in woods across Japan that appear wild, the plant's existence often indicates that the area used to be inhabited by humans and was abandoned [20]
It is found in China, within the Chinese provinces, of Anhui, Fujian, Gansu, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangsu, Jiangxi, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Sichuan, [5] Xizang, Yunnan, and Zhejiang. [3] [19]
It is found in Japan on the islands of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu. [16]
In tropical Asia, it occurs in Myanmar (Burma). [12] In 2014, it was found in Mongolia. [21]
I. japonica grows on forest margins, [3] in wet grasslands (or meadows), [3] among rocks by streams, [12] and along hillsides, [9] or rocky slopes. [12] The species occurs at altitudes of 500 to 800 m (1,600 to 2,600 ft) above sea level in Japan, [22] and 2,400 to 3,400 m (7,900 to 11,200 ft) above sea level in China. [3]
Iris japonica is very common in cultivation in USA, [2] it is the most commonly cultivated crested iris in the UK. [10] [23]
It is hardy to between USDA Zone 7 and Zone 10. [7] It is also hardy to European Zone H3. [24] It is very easy to grow in a Mediterranean climate in sheltered positions. [7] Within the UK, it is hardy in Devon and Cornwall, [4] and some other parts of southern UK. [11] It prefers the protection of a sheltered sunny wall. Some cultivars of Iris japonica are more hardy than others. [11] However, an extremely cold winter (or late frosts) may adversely affect the flowering of this species, [12] and the foliage becomes tatty, [23] or browned. [11]
It should be grown in well-drained soils, [2] but moist soils are preferred. [9] It can tolerate neutral or acidic soils (PH levels between 6.5 and 7.8)., [25] though prefers slightly acidic soils (including peat banks). [23] It is not tolerant of salty water. [26] It has average water needs during the growing season, [7] wet or damp conditions during the winter may cause the root to rot. [7] It can tolerate positions between full sun and partial shade, [2] but prefers partial shade. [7]
It can be grown in a mixed flower border, as a ground cover plant [7] and can be also grown in containers in sheltered positions. [9] The stems and dead leaves should be removed after flowering to keep the plant tidy and help it, for next years growth. [9]
In frost prone areas, it can be grown in a cool greenhouse. [4] The plants are rested in summer (after the spring flowering), and then started again in the late autumn. If it cannot be grown in a cool house, it should be given a sheltered position, with shrubs where it is protected from the morning sun. [11]
It does not have any serious disease or insect problems, [7] but pests (such as thrips, slugs and snails), occasionally damage plants by feeding on the flowers or foliage. [5] [9] The aphid Aulacorthum magnoliae can be found on the plant. [27] It can be susceptible to attack by Japanese beetle. [28]
It can be propagated by division or by seed growing. [9] [25] The seed is best sown in a cold frame, as soon as the capsules are ripe. Stored seed can also be sown in a cold frame in the Spring. Seedlings should be pricked out into small pots when large enough. They are then grown for another year in a greenhouse or cold frame. The new plants then can be planted into the ground in late spring or early summer of the third year. [25] Division is best carried out after flowering during July or August. Large clumps of plants can then be re-planted in new sites. Smaller clumps should be potted and grown in a cold frame until there have formed sufficient roots to survive, they then can be planted in the Spring. [25]
Iris japonica has many named cultivars. [5]
Cultivars include:
White-flowered forms collected from Zhejiang were named as Iris japonica f. pallescens by P. L. Chiu & Y. T. Zhao (in Y. T. Zhao, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 58. 1980). [3] But these were later classified as a synonym of Iris japonica. [1]
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction. [12] [25]
In Japan, it is used as a source of starch. The rhizomes are ground up to access the starch. In China, it is used in herbal medicines, the rhizome is used to treat injuries. As a decoction, it is used to treat bronchitis, internal injuries, rheumatism, and swellings. [5] [12]
In Japan, the iris was encouraged or planted on the tops of hills, within castles, the slippery fans of the iris leaves were used to slow marauding invaders to allow defending armies to protect the castle. [23]
Iris sibirica, commonly known as Siberian iris or Siberian flag, is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. 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.
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.
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.
Iris tectorum is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris. It is a rhizomatous perennial. It is native of China, Korea and Burma, with lavender-blue, bluish-violet, purple-blue, blue-lilac or sky blue flowers. There is a white form as well. It is a compact plant and is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions of the world.
Iris setosa, the bristle-pointed iris, is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iris of the family Iridaceae, it belongs the subgenus Limniris and the series Tripetalae. It is a rhizomatous perennial from a wide range across the Arctic sea, including Alaska, Maine, Canada, Russia, northeastern Asia, China, Korea and southwards to Japan. The plant has tall branching stems, mid green leaves and violet, purple-blue, violet-blue, blue, to lavender flowers. There are also plants with pink and white flowers.
Iris formosana is a species of plant in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Limniris and the section Lophiris. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant, from Taiwan, it has large white or lilac flowers. It is commonly known as the 'Taiwan iris'. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris speculatrix is a beardless iris in the genus Iris, in the subgenus Limniris and in the series Chinenses of the genus. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from Asia, found in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan. It has dark green, evergreen leaves, long slender stem and flowers in various blue shades, from violet, lilac, lavender, to light blue.
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 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 cuniculiformis 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 China, it has long and thin green leaves, and 1 lilac large flowers, that have yellow or grey 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 tigridia 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 Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia and China. It has dark green or greyish green, grass-like leaves, a short slender stem and a single flowers that are either violet, dark blue, blue-purple, dark purple, mauve, lilac, lavender, or light purple. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris cypriana is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Cyprus. It has narrow, glaucous and evergreen leaves, tall slender stem, with 2–3 branches, and 1–3 large flowers in lavender, lilac, red-lilac, to dark purple shades. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is listed in some sources as a synonym of Iris germanica.
Iris scariosa is a plant species in the genus Iris; it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial from the mountainsides of Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China. It has sword-like, or sickle shaped, blue green or grey-green leaves, a short flowering stem, 3 or 4 membranous or semi-transparent flower bud leaves, 2 violet, reddish violet, lilac, blue-purple, or blue flowers in late spring, with yellow or white beards. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It was merged with another similar iris in the region, and Iris glaucescens became a synonym of Iris scariosa, before being divided into two separate species again. Although some sources still call it the main species, despite a slight colour difference.
Iris hellenica is a plant species in the genus Iris and the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Saitas Mountain, in the Peloponnese Region of Greece. It has grey-green, sickle-shaped leaves, a tall slender stem, 2–3 white, lavender-blue, lilac or purple flowers and orange/purple beards. It was thought once to be a hybrid species of Iris germanica which also grows in the same area, before being separated into 2 species. It has only recently been published and is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Iris marsica is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Apennine Mountains, in Italy. It has glaucous, sickle-shaped or curved, light green leaves, slender stem with 2 branches, and 3 violet, light blue violet, dark violet, and dark purple flowers. It was only found and described since 1973, and is not yet in general cultivation. It was once thought to be a form of Iris germanica, but has different morphological characteristics and different chromosomal differences.
Iris purpureobractea is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the cliffs and forest glades on the mountains of Turkey. It has straight or falcate shaped leaves, stem with several branches, the stem has purple spathes, it has up to 8 fragrant flowers, in various colours between yellow or blue. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
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.
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 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.