Iris tenuis

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Clackamas iris
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. Limniris
Section: Iris sect. Lophiris
Species:
I. tenuis
Binomial name
Iris tenuis
Synonyms [1]

None known

Iris tenuis (Clackamas iris) is a plant species in the genus Iris , subgenus Limniris . It is a rhizomatous perennial, endemic to Clackamas County, Oregon. The flowers are white, pale blue or lilac, with a yellow or golden low dissected crest and pale green leaves. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.

Contents

Description

It is similar in form to Iris cristata , except that it is taller and larger. [2] [3]

It has small, slender, cord-like, rhizomes, [4] [5] [6] which are 10–15 mm in diameter. [7] They have brown scale-like leaves on top of the rhizome. [7] The shallow rooted, creeping and spreading rhizomes, [8] [9] [10] that create loose colonies around 30 cm wide. [2] [9] [11]

It has deciduous, [2] [4] narrow, pale green, [4] [6] [12] or dark green, [9] basal leaves. [7] They are sword-shaped, [6] they can grow up to between 30–35 cm (12–14 in) long and 1–1.5 cm (0–1 in) wide. [4] [8] [9] They are fan-like, [11] with brown membranous edges. [7] The leaves are taller than the stems. [6]

It has slender, [6] flowering stems that can grow up to between 30–35 cm (12–14 in) tall. [13] [14] [15] It has 2–3 branches. [8] [10] [11] The pedicel (flower stalks) are 0.4–1 cm long but they do not carry the flower clear of spathes. [7]

The stems have several spathes (leaves of the flower bud), that are 2–3 cm (1–1 in) long and 5 mm wide, and scarious (dry and membranous). [7] [6]

The stems (and the branches) hold 1 flower (each branch), [7] [9] in late spring, [8] [9] [16] between April and May. [7] [12] [17]

The flowers are 3–5 cm (1–2 in) in diameter, [2] [4] [8] and come in shades of white, [17] [16] [15] pale blue, [5] [9] [17] or pale lilac. [2] [13] [16]

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'. [12] The white or pale blue falls are oblong-spatulate, [6] 2.8–1 cm (1–0 in) long, [7] with violet, blue or purple veins. [3] [4] [6] In the centre is a yellow signal area and a low yellow or golden crest with undissected ridge. [14] [17] [15] The erect standards are oblanceolate-spatulate, shorter than the falls, [7] [6] and notched at tip. [6] [8]

It has a 3 cm long, funnel-form perianth tube, triangular-acuminate stigmas and a 0.4–0.7 cm long, elliptical ovary. [7]

It has 1.8 cm long styles, [7] that do not have notched lobes. [8]

In propagation, the pollen tubes of Iris tenax reach the Iris tenuis ovules in 30 hours, whereas the pollen tubes of Iris tenuis require 50 hours to reach the Iris tenax ovules. [18]

After the iris has flowered, it produces a globose, [7] or ovoid seed capsule, [2] which is 0.9–1.5 cm (0–1 in) long and 1.2 cm wide. [7] Inside are D-shaped, pale brown, pitted seeds, with a whitish raphe (ridge). [2] [4] [7]

Biochemistry

In 1956, a cytological (cell) study was carried out on various irises in the Californicae Section. Including Iris tenuis. [19]

As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. [12] [ clarification needed ]

It has been counted several times: 2n=28, Simonet in 1934, [13] 2n=28, L.W. Lenz (Studies in Iris embryo culture, El Alsio 3 173–182 1956) [20] and 2n=28, Smith & Clark in 1956. [13]

It has a published chromosome count of 2n=28. [2] [4] [7] [14]

Taxonomy

It is pronounced as (Iris) EYE-ris (tenuis) TEN-yoo-iss. [15]

It is commonly known as Clackamas Iris. [16] [15] [21] [22]

The Latin specific epithet tenuis refers to the Latin for slender or thin. [23]

It was discovered in 1881, by Mr. L. F. Henderson, of Portland, Oregon, near a branch of the Clackamas River called 'Eagle Creek', about thirty miles from Portland. [6]

It was first published and described by Sereno Watson in (Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts) Vol.17 page380 in 1882. [7] [22] [24] It was originally placed within the Californicae Series. [3] [10] [12]

In May, 1884, Mr. Henderson found iris specimen roots for the Cambridge Botanic Garden in the UK. But they did not survive the following winter in the British climate. [6]

Sereno Watson published another description of the iris in Garden and Forest Weekly, Volume 1 No. 1 on 29 February 1888, [6] and in Vol.1 No.6 on 7 March 1888 with an illustration. [13]

A black and white Illustration and description appears in Volume 1 An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States in 1923, [8] and reprinted in 1940. [25] The iris also appeared in Volume 4 on page313 in 1959. [8]

In 1937, R.C. Foster, was one of the first botanists to think that Iris tenuis is similar in form to Iris cristata. [7] In 1956, F. H. Smith and Q. D. Clarkson noted, "It clearly does not belong in the subsection with the other members of the Californicae,". [19] Due to the chromosome count of 2n=28, which is not similar to other Californicae series irises, who are normally counted as 2n=40. [13] In 1958, Clarkson created a new subsection, the Oregonae, for it. Then in 1959, Lee W. Lenz moved it into the Lophiris section. [7] [12] [26]

It was also published in Rickett, Wild Flowers of the US, Vol.5 plate19 in 1971. [8]

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, then updated on 28 August 2007. [22]

Iris tenuis is a tentatively accepted name by the RHS. [27]

Distribution and habitat

It is native to north western USA. [5] [8] [22]

Range

It is found in the U.S. state of Oregon. [5] [22] [24] Within the Cascade Mountains, [24] in Clackamas County. [12] [14] [16]

Found along the Clackamas River, [11] [12] [13] and Molalla river. [11] [13]

Habitat

It grows in the open wooded slopes, [2] [7] [9] and along shaded stream banks. [2] [16]

It is found underneath the Douglas fir ( Pseutotsuga menziesii ), [9] [11] [17] and other shrub undergrowth in large colonies, [2] [12] in moist leafy soils. [2] [7] [9]

Conservation

Iris tenuis along with Aster gormanii (now called Eucephalus gormanii ), douglasia laeviagata var. laevigata, Enemion hallii, lilium washingtonianum , Pleuricospora fimbriolata and Sullivantia oregana are all sensitive species recorded with the Table Rock Wilderness in Oregon. [28] [29]

It grows in Mount Hood National Forest, Oregon. [30]

Cultivation

It is cold hardy, but not heat or dry hardy. [4] It is less hardy than other crested irises and is more difficult to establish in the UK. [3] [10]

It is hardy to Europe Zone H2, [8] and between USDA Zone 6 to Zone 9. [16] [15]

It can grow in Marion, Multnomah, Josephine, and Washington Counties. [31]

It prefers to grow in humus rich, (leafy) well drained soils, [4] [12] [32] and it is tolerant of soils that are mildly acidic to neutral. [12] [15]

It is tolerant of sun or partial shaded positions, [16] [15] [32] and it prefers to have some sun during the day to create flowers. [17]

It has average water needs, it prefers to have moisture during the growing season. [4] [16] [15]

If the plant is lifted up in summer or in the spring, and then re-planted in leafy soil in the shade, it will re-grow again. [6] [10]

The plants should be planted 7–15 cm (3–6 in) cm apart. [15]

It can be found in most plant nurseries in the US. [4]

Propagation

It can also be propagated by division or by seed growing. [10] [15]

Toxicity

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. [15]

References

  1. ↑ "Iris tenuis S.Watson is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). 23 March 2013. Retrieved 28 March 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 British Iris Society (1997) A Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation , p. 128, at Google Books
  3. 1 2 3 4 Cassidy, George E.; Linnegar, Sidney (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. p. 69+132. ISBN   978-0-88192-089-5.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Kramb, D. (10 October 2004). "Iris tenuis". signa.org (Species Iris Group of North America). Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Chapter II iris clump and other (part3)". irisbotanique.over-blog.com. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Watson, Sereno. "Iris tenuis". familyseasons.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 "FNA Vol. 26 Page 373, 378". efloras.org (Flora of North America). Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees and H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification (2011) , p. 257, at Google Books
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "Our Native Irises: Dwarf Woodland Irises". fs.fed.us. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Dykes, William (2009). "Handbook of Garden Irises" (PDF). beardlessiris.org (The Group for Beardless Irises). Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "The non-Pacifica Western Iris". pacificcoastiris.org. Archived from the original on 29 April 2015. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Austin, Claire (2005). Irises; A Garden Encyclopedia. Timber Press. ISBN   978-0881927306.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Laurin, Terry (19 September 2014). "(SPEC) Iris tenuis S. Watson". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society). Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Iris summary" (PDF). pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
  15. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 "PlantFiles: Clackamas Iris". davesgarden.com. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 William Cullina The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers of the United States and Canada , p. 129, at Google Books
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Crested Irises". pacificbulbsociety.org. 22 July 2012. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  18. ↑ Verne Grant The Origin of Adaptations&pg=PA376 Iris tenuis , p. 376, at Google Books
  19. 1 2 Smith, Frank H.; Clarkson, Quniton D. (October 1956). "Cytological studies in interspecific hybridization in Iris subsection Californiae". American Journal of Botany. 43 (8): 582–588. doi:10.2307/2438873. JSTOR   2438873.
  20. ↑ "EL ALISO, Volume 3, Number 2, April 1, 1955". abebooks.com. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  21. ↑ Tim Johnson CRC Ethnobotany Desk Reference , p. 433, at Google Books
  22. 1 2 3 4 5 "Iris tenuis". Germplasm Resources Information Network . Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture . Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  23. ↑ Smith, A.W.; Stearn, William T. (1972). A Gardener's Dictionary of Plant Names (Revised ed.). Cassell and Company (published 1963). p. 310. ISBN   978-0304937219.
  24. 1 2 3 "Iris tenuis S.Watson, Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 17: 380 (1882)". kew.org. Retrieved 22 April 2015.
  25. ↑ Leroy Abrams An Illustrated Flora of the Pacific States (1940) , p. 463, at Google Books
  26. ↑ Lenz, Lee W. (1959). Iris Tenuis S. Watts., A New transfer to the Subsection Evansia. Aliso.
  27. ↑ "Iris tenuis". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2015.
  28. ↑ United States Department of the Interior Wilderness Management Plan for the Table Rock Wilderness (Feb 1987) , p. 53, at Google Books
  29. ↑ "The Quest for Enemion Flowers at Table Rock". westerncascades.com. 30 July 2011. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  30. ↑ "Clackamas River Trail". wyeastblog.org. 12 June 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  31. ↑ "CLACKAMAS IRIS". avaniplants.com. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 23 April 2015.
  32. 1 2 A. K. Singh Flower Crops: Cultivation and Management , p. 179, at Google Books

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