Description
It has a thin or stout creeping rhizome. [2] [3]
It has linear, lanceolate, sword-like, leaves. [4] [5] [6] That are blue-green, grey-green or dark green. [4] [5] [7] The leaves are normally wider than Iris notha , [8] at 8–17 cm (3–7 in) wide, [9] [10] and they can grow up to 50 cm (20 in) long. [5] [6] They are shorter than the flowering stem. [2]
It has an erect, strong, straight stem that can grow up to between 40–100 cm (16–39 in) tall. [11] [12] [13] It has thick, [8] linear, lanceolate, spathes (leaves of the flower bud). [2] That are 13 mm wide and have a white membranous edge. [2]
The stems hold several, terminal (top of stem) flowers, [2] in late spring, [7] or summer, [11] between May and July. [5] [6] [9] It has flowers that are up to 6–10 cm (2–4 in) in diameter, [3] [9] [10] they come in various shades of blue including deep blue, [10] [14] [15] deep violet, [12] [13] [16] lavender, [4] [11] purple, [5] [7] [17] and very rarely, white. [13] [17] [15] They are very similar in colour to Iris spuria subsp. demetrii, [18] and similar in form to Iris sibirica , but slightly larger with wider petals. [15] 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'. [19] The falls have an elliptical blade, and then a narrow claw (section closest to the stem), which is equal or slight longer than the blade. [2] [9] [11] The blade has a yellow or white central stripe or signal area, [4] around it are darker veins heading to the edges. [5] [17] [16] They are 5.5–8 cm (2–3 in) long. [11] The upright, lanceolate, [3] standards are a single colour, they gradually narrow to the claw (near the stem). [2] It has a perianth tube that is shorter than the ovary. It has also style branches that are as long as the claw of the falls. [2]
After the iris has flowered, it produces an oblong cylindrical capsule, [3] [5] [6] with 6 angles, [2] that has a long spout-like appendage. [2] [5] [6] It fruits between August and September. [2] [6] Inside the capsule are flat, semi-circular or reniform (kidney shaped), off-white to pale brown seeds. [5] [6] [20]
Biochemistry
In 1988, a study was carried out on the rhizomes of Iris spuria subsp. musulmanica, and found a chemical compound (12a-hydroxyrotenoid). [21] In 2005, the seeds of the iris were studied in Turkey along with a morphological and anatomical investigation. The oil content and methyl esters of fatty acids of the seed were also examined. They contained linoleic acid (40%) and oleic acid (30%). [20]
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. [19] It has a chromosome count of 2n=44. [12] [13]
Taxonomy
The Latin specific epithet musulmanica is derived from Musulman (the Persian word for Muslim).
It has the common name of 'Muslim iris'. [18] [22]
It was original published as Iris musulmanica by Aleksandr Vasiljevich Fomin in Vĕstnik Tiflisskago Botaniceskago Sada. Moniteur du Jardin Botanique de Tiflis (Vĕstn. Tiflissk. Bot. Sada) xiv. 46 in 1909. [2] [23] It was later re-classified as a subspecies of Iris spuria, as Iris spuria subsp. musulmanica by Armen Takhtajan in Flora Erevana: opredelitel dik orastushdikh rastenii Araratskoi Kotloving (Fl. Erevana) edit.2 on page 330 in 1972. [24] [25] It was later publisher and illustrated in 'Flora Iranica' (Edited by Rechinger), within Iridaceae (chapter), plate12 in 1975. [11] It was then published by Brian Mathew, in his book The Iris on page 20 in 1981. [11] It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on 9 January 2003, and then updated on 3 December 2004. [25] Iris spuria subsp. musulmanica is an accepted name by the RHS. [26]
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