Trimezia martinicensis

Trimezia martinicensis
Naturalized in Malaysia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Genus:	Trimezia
Species:	T. martinicensis
Binomial name
Trimezia martinicensis (Jacq.) Herb.[1]

Trimezia martinicensis is a species of bulbous plant in the family Iridaceae. Originally from South America and the West Indies, it is now widely naturalized throughout the tropics.[1][2] Common names include Martinique trimezia,[3] yellow walking iris[4] and forenoon yellow flag.[5]

Distinction from Trimezia steyermarkii

Trimezia martinicensis is closely related to T. steyermarkii,[6] with which it has been widely confused.[7] Clive Innes describes T. martinicensis as having a brown mark at the base of each outer tepal, whereas T. steyermarkii has brownish-purple bands.[8] In Kubitzki & Huber (1998), the flowers of T. martinicensis are shown as opening less widely than those of T. steyermarkii. The inner tepals of both species are S-shaped in cross-section; those of T. martinicensis are more-or-less upright (Innes describes them as "folded inwards"[9]), whereas those of T. steyermarkii bend outwards into a more elongated shape so that the top of the S is not visible from above.[10] A diagnostic feature is that the style crests of T. martinicensis are short, whereas those of T. steyermarkii are longer,[10] about 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long, comparable in length to its anthers, which are about 4 mm (0.16 in) long.[11] Another difference is that the leaves of T. martinicensis are narrower, only about 1.3 cm (0.5 in) wide, whereas those of T. steyermarkii are 2.5–3.4 cm (1.0–1.3 in) wide.[12]

References

1. "Trimezia martinicensis", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2012-04-27
2. Innes, Clive (1985), The World of Iridaceae, Ashington, UK: Holly Gate International, ISBN 978-0-948236-01-3, p. 377
3. NRCS. "Trimezia martinicensis". PLANTS Database. United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 15 December 2015.
4. University of North Florida
5. Henderson, M.R. (1961), Common Malaysian Wildflowers, London, etc.: Longman, p. 57
6. Innes 1985, p. 378
7. Trimezia, Pacific Bulb Society, archived from the original on 2012-01-06, retrieved 2012-04-27
8. Innes 1985, pp. 377–378
9. Innes 1985, p. 377.
10. Kubitzki, Klaus & Huber, Herbert, eds. (1998), The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants : Volume III, Flowering Plants Monocotyledons : Lilianae (except Orchidaceae), Berlin, etc.: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-540-64060-8, p. 304
11. Stevens, W.D.; Ulloa Ulloa, Carmen; Pool, Amy; Montiel, Olga Martha, eds. (2001), "Flore de Nicaragua, Vol. 2", Missouri Bot. Gard. Monographs in Syst. Bot. (in Spanish), 85 (2), translated at Trimezia steyermarkii (PIER species info), retrieved 2012-05-06
12. Staples, George W. & Herbst, Derral R. (2005), A Tropical Garden Flora, Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, ISBN 978-1-58178-039-0