Iris serotina

Iris serotina
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Genus: Iris
Subgenus: Iris subg. Xiphium
Section: Iris sect. Xiphium
Species:
I. serotina
Binomial name
Iris serotina
Synonyms[1]
  • Iris cuatrecasasii Font Quer
  • Iris variabilis subsp. serotina (Willk.) K.Richt.
  • Xiphion serotinum (Willk.) Soják

Iris serotina is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Xiphium. It is a bulbous perennial from southern Europe, found in Spain and Morocco.

Description

Iris serotina grows to a maximum height of 60 cm (24 in) tall and the narrow leaves are 2–6 mm wide and grow between 30–60 cm (12–24 in) tall.[2] They appear in the autumn,[3][4] but then fade before flowering.[5]

It normally has 2 - 3 flowers per stem,[5] and generally blooms in late July, or August.[6]: 287 

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'.[6]: 17  It has blue-violet flowers,[4] the petals are veined with a deeper violet colour, and the falls are marked with a yellow patch.[4][6]: 287 

Its seeds are small, yellow and semi-circular.[2]

Taxonomy

The specific epithet serotina, refers to the Latin word, 'serotina' meaning late in flowering.[7][8]

In 1861, Heinrich Moritz Willkomm described Iris serotina after seeing plants from Province of Jaén (Spain).[9] Originally, he called it Iris filifolia, but this was later corrected to Iris serotina.[10] Then published in 'Prodromus Florae Hispanicae' Vol.1 in 1861.[11][12] It was later illustrated in Curtis's Botanical Magazine No.733 in 1977.[5]

Iris serotina is an accepted name by the RHS,[13] and it was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, then updated on 3 December 2004.[14]

Distribution and habitat

Iris serotina is native to temperate areas of Europe.[13][14]

Range

Originally found in South eastern Spain.[6][14] It has been found in Cuenca, Jaen and in the Province of Granada. It also has been found in Rif in Morocco.[9][14][15]

Habitat

It grows on rocks, on the shadow side of the mountains.[4]

Conservation

It is classed as 'Endangered',[4] and was on the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants in Spain.[16]

Cultivation

It is best grown in a bulb frame or a very sheltered dry border, in the UK.[17]

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.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Iris serotina Willk. is an accepted name". theplantlist.org. 23 March 2012. Retrieved 19 November 2014.
  2. ^ a b "iris serotina". iridaceae.e-monocot.org. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  3. ^ "The Southern African Bulb Group, Newsletter No. 10" (PDF). www.sabg.tk. April 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e Dominguez, Rafael Diez (26 July 2006). "Iris serotina". signa.org. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  5. ^ a b c James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification, p. 259, at Google Books
  6. ^ a b c d Austin, Claire (2005). Irises; A Garden Encyclopedia. Timber Press. ISBN 0-88192-730-9.
  7. ^ Stearn, William (1972). A Gardenerer's Dictionary of Plant Names. London: Cassell. p. 291. ISBN 0304937215.
  8. ^ James Armitage (Editor) RHS Practical Latin for Gardeners: More than 1,500 Essential Plant Names and ..., p. 430, at Google Books
  9. ^ a b "Candollea (Journal International de botanique systematique)" (PDF). 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  10. ^ Crespo Villalba, Manuel B. (2012). "Nomenclatural Types of Iberian Irises (Iris and Related genera, Iridaceae)" (PDF). rua.ua.es. p. 59. Retrieved 1 August 2014.
  11. ^ "Iris serotina". apps.kew.org. Retrieved 31 July 2014.
  12. ^ Gonzalo Mateo Sanz and José Luis Benito Alonso (Editors) Flora Montiberica, 53, p. 59, at Google Books
  13. ^ a b "Iris serotina". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d "Iris serotina". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  15. ^ Pries, Bob (7 July 2016). "(SPEC) Iris serotina". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society). Retrieved 21 March 2018.
  16. ^ Kerry Scott Walter, Harriet J. Gillett (Editors) 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants, p. 679, at Google Books
  17. ^ Cassidy, G.E.; Linnegar, S. (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. p. 74. ISBN 0-88192-089-4.
  18. ^ David G Spoerke and Susan C. Smolinske Toxicity of Houseplants, p. 236, at Google Books

Other sources

  • Fennane, M. & M. I. Tattou. 1998. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires rares, menacées ou endémiques du Maroc. Bocconea 8:205.
  • Maire, R. C. J. E. et al. 1952–. Flore de l'Afrique du Nord. (F Afr Nord)
  • Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. (Iris) 137.
  • Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea. (F Eur)

Data related to Iris serotina at Wikispecies