Iris pseudocaucasica

Iris pseudocaucasica
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Subfamily: Iridoideae
Tribe: Irideae
Genus: Iris
Subgenus: Scorpiris
Species: Iris pseudocaucasica
Binomial name
Iris pseudocaucasica
Grossh.
Synonyms
  • Colchicum falcifolium (Stapf)
  • Juno pseudocaucasica (Grossh.) Rodion.[1]

Iris pseudocaucasica is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Scorpiris. It is a bulbous perennial.

The name is derived from 'pseudo' from the Greek word meaning 'false' and 'caucasica' meaning from the Caucasus.[2]

It is not to be confused with Iris caucasica, although in the same sub-genus of iris, they are different plants.

It was first published in 'Vĕstnik Tiflisskago Botaniceskago Sada. Moniteur du Jardin Botanique de Tiflis' on pages 40–41 in 1916 by Alexander Alfonsovich Grossheim.[3]

Iris pseudocaucasica is an accepted name by the RHS.[4]

It is listed in 1995 in 'Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR)' by Czerepanov, S. K.[5]

It has been studied in Iran during a karyotypic study in 2013, with Iris songarica, Iris aucheri and Iris sisyrinchium.[6]

It is hardy to USDA Zone 4.[7]

It prefers to be cultivated in well drained soils with a high rock/stone content, that are in full sun but are protected from winter damp.[8]

Habit

Iris pseudocaucasica has a bulb of 1-1.5 cm diameter.[9]

It differs from Iris caucasica by having yellowish green or blue flowers.[7] The flowers can also be described as translucent yellow or icy blue,[10] or creamy yellow[8] or light bluish–violet.[11]

It has generally 1-4 flowers per stem.[9][10]

The flowers have a perianth tube of 3–4 cm long and bracts 4–5 cm long.[7] It has large winged standards,[12] which are about 2 cm long.[9]

The pale blue forms have falls that have a yellow wavy crest.[7]

The plant will reach a maximum height of 2-8" (6–20 cm).[10]

It blooms in the UK between April and June.[12] In Armenia. it flowers from March to May and fruits from May to June.[11]

It generally has 3-4 leaves,[7] when fully grown these reach a height of between 4–18 cm long and between 1-2.8 cm wide at the base of the plant,[9] but averagely, they are 1-1.5 cm wide. They are generally lanceolate shaped, channelled, glossy green above with a greyish-green below, with a white cartilaginous margin.[8][9][11] The large leaves normally obscure the flower stem.[11]

It has an ellipsoid capsule,(after flowering) which is about 3.5 cm long, producing seeds about 4 mm long.[9]

Native

Iris pseudocaucasica is found in South East Turkey, North Eastern Iraq, North and North western Iran and the former USSR state of Armenia,[7][12] (part of Southern Transcaucasia).[10] It also can be found in Azerbaijan,[9] and Nakhichevan, East Anatolia.[11]

Within Armenia, it is distributed in Yerevan (central part of Urts mountain range) and Meghri (Aygedzor, Vardanadzor, Gudemnis, Shvanidzor, and Nyuvadi towns) regions. Due to the loss of the irises natural habitat, which has been caused by an expansion of the local mining industry, it has become a threaten plant and is becoming rarer to find.[11]

It prefers the clay,[11] stony hillsides, screes and mountain steppes, at altitudes of between 600m to 3,500m above sea level.[8][9]

It has been found in Jahan Nama, Golestan, Iran.[13]

It is also found along the lakeside to the Chalus Gorge, north of Tehran, where in crevices.[14]

Only yellow-flowered forms of the species have been recorded in Turkey.[9]

References

  1. "Iris pseudocaucasica Grossh". www.theplantlist.org. 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  2. Stearn, William (1972). A Gardenerer's Dictionary of Plant Names. London: Cassell. p. 264 and 82. ISBN 0304937215.
  3. "Iris pseudocaucasica". apps.kew.org. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  4. "Iris pseudocaucasica". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  5. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR), p. 281, at Google Books
  6. Chakhgari, M.; Mozafari, J.; Lahiji, M. F. (2013). "Karyotypic study in some Iranian Iris species populations". cabdirect.org. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) and 353 The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification, p. 260 and 353, at Google Books
  8. 1 2 3 4 "Iris pseudocaucasica". www.rareplants.eu. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "I. pseudocaucasica". www.vanherbaryum.yyu.edu.tr. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Franco, Alain (20 April 2010). "(SPEC) Iris pseudocaucasica (Miller) Fiori & Paoletti". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society). Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Gabrielyan, Eleonora (2001). "Iris pseudocaucasica Grossh.". www.mnp.am. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  12. 1 2 3 Austin, Claire. "Irises A Garden Encyclopedia" (pdf). worldtracker.org. p. 287. Retrieved 21 July 2014.
  13. Jafari, S.M.; Akhani, H. (2008). "Plants of Jahan Nama Protected Area, Golestan Province, N Iran" (pdf). pakbs.org. Retrieved 18 September 2014.
  14. Wallis, Dr. & Mrs. R. (October 2009). "Iran Caspianto Kopet Dag" (pdf). agscentralsussex.plus.com (The Alpine Garden Society, Central Sussex Group). Retrieved 18 September 2014.

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