Iris darwasica

Iris darwasica is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Regelia. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan. It has long and thin glaucous to grey-green leaves, slender stem and greenish cream or greenish yellow, to dark purple or lilac flowers.

Iris darwasica
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Genus:	Iris
Subgenus:	Iris subg. Iris
Section:	Iris sect. Regelia
Species:	I. darwasica
Binomial name
Iris darwasica Regel
Synonyms[1]
Iris suworowii Regel

Description

It can be separated in form from Iris korolkowii (another Regelia iris) by the flowers having rounded ends to the longer falls and standards and it also has wider leaves.[2]

It has a short and slender rhizome.[2][3][4][5][6] The top of the rhizome has the fibrous remains of last seasons leaves.[2][5] It has a creeping habit,[3][5][6] which can form large clumps of plants.[2]

It has glaucous,[3] or bluish green,[4] or grey-green leaves,[7] that are generally linear or ensiform (sword shaped).[2][5][6][7] Although the outer leaves can be falcate (sickle-shaped).[2][3] They can grow up to between 15–40 cm (6–16 in) long,[4] and between 0.4 and 1 cm wide.[2][3][5][6][7] The foliage dies back after flowering and becomes dormant during the summer.[4][8]

It has a slender stem, that can grow up to between 15–40 cm (6–16 in) tall.[2][3][5][6][9][10][11]

The stems hold 2 to 3 terminal (top of stem) flowers.[2][4][6][9][10]

The stems also have 2 or 3 spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which are keeled,[2] green, oblong or lanceolate (shaped) and 6.3 cm (2 in) long.[3][5]

The fragrant,[4] flowers bloom in spring,[7] between April and May (in Europe and the UK),[2][4] but in June (in Russia).[5] and are 5–6 cm (2–2 in) in diameter,[2][4][7] they come in shades of greenish cream,[4][8][9][11] or greenish yellow,[2][3][5][6] to dark purple,[4] or lilac.[3][7][11]

Iris darwasica is the first of the Regelia section irises to flower.[9]

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 obovate or linear,[5] falls are 7 cm (3 in) long and 2.7 cm wide,[2] they are veined with purple,[3][7][8][11] or raspberry red,[5][6] or brown-red.[2][9] In the centre, it has a purple,[4][8] or bluish beard.[3][5][9][10] The standards are similar in size and shape to the falls.[2][5][6] they also have a dark beards.[2]

It has a green, cylindrical perianth tube, which is as long as the ovary.[3][5]

It also has a yellowish green style, which has small narrow, crests[2] and is 2.3 cm long.[3]

It has linear anthers which are 1.27 cm (half an inch) long.[3]

After the iris has flowered, it produces a seed capsule and seeds which have not yet been described.

Biochemistry

As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[12] It has a chromosome count: 2n=22.[4][8][11]

Taxonomy

It is sometimes known as the Darwas Iris,[3] or Davraz Iris,[13] or 'Darvas Iris',[14] It is known as 'Iris Darvasky' in Russia.[15]

The Latin specific epithet darwasica refers to Darvaz mountains (between Tajikistan and Afghanistan), where the iris is found.[2][9]

It was first published and described by Eduard August von Regel in 'Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada' Vol.8 Issue 679 in 1884.[3][5][16][17]

It was described from specimens found in Turkestan,[3] on 'Mount Ala-kisryak', east of the Lulyab mountains.[5]

Iris Suworowi was also published and described by Regel in ' Trudy Imp. S.-Peterburgsk. Bot. Sada Vol.9 page619 in 1886.[3][5][18] This was later re-classified as a synonym of Iris darwasica.[1]

It was once thought that Iris lineata, was a form of Iris darwasica.[3][4]

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 2 October 2014.[17]

Iris darwasica is an accepted name by the RHS.[19]

Distribution and habitat

It is native to temperate central Asia.[5][17][19]

Range

It is found in the former region of USSR,[2][7][8][11] (of Turkestan),[9][10] now known as Tajikistan, and also in northern Afghanistan.[2][2][4][5][6][8][11][17]

Habitat

It grows on the sunny, rocky, open mountain slopes.[2][4][8]

They can be found at altitudes of between 700 to 1,200 m (2,300 to 3,900 ft) and 2,000 to 2,600 m (6,600 to 8,500 ft) above sea level.[2][14]

Conservation

It is listed as 'endangered',[8] in the 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants.[20][21] It is still listed on the current Red List.[22]

In 2012, it was listed as 'Davraz iris' in the Red Data book of Tajikistan,[13][23] as a 'declining' species.[14]

It is endangered due to the effects of collecting flowers and economic activity in Tajikistan.[21]

It has been found within the 'Childukhtaron Nature Reserve' in the Darvaz Mountains, the reserve is 270 km south east of Dushanbe,(the capital city of Tajikistan).[13]

Cultivation

It is hardy to European Zone H3,[7] between USDA Zone 5 to Zone 6.[24] Within the UK, it may be possible to grow the iris within a plant frame.[2]

It prefers to grow in well drained, sunny situations.[24]

It is best planted in October.[9]

It is rare and been in cultivation.[2][8]

A specimen was tested for hardiness at Leningrad Botanical Garden in Russia.[5]

Culture

On 3 April 1998, a postage stamp of Tajikistan was issued with an illustration of the iris.[25] It was part of a series of 4 plant illustrations.[26]

References

1. "Iris darwasica Regel is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). 23 March 2012. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
2. British Iris Society (1997) A Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation, p. 92, at Google Books
3. Pries, Bob (2 January 2015). "(SPEC) Iris darwasica Regel". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society). Retrieved 18 May 2015.
4. "Chapitre I (partie 8) Les Regelia". irisbotanique.over-blog.com. Archived from the original on 13 December 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
5. Komarov, V.L. (1935). "Akademiya Nauk SSSR (FLORA of the U.S.S.R.) Vol. IV". Retrieved 9 October 2014.
6. "Iris darwasica". plantae.se. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
7. James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification (2011) , p. 343, at Google Books
8. Dominguez, Rafa Diez (27 April 2006). "Iris darwasica". signa.org (Species Iris Group of North America). Retrieved 18 May 2015.
9. Dykes, William (2009). "Handbook of Garden Irises" (PDF). beardlessiris.org (The Group for Beardless Irises). Retrieved 1 November 2014.
10. Cassidy, George E.; Linnegar, Sidney (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. p. 124. ISBN 0-88192-089-4.
11. "Iris summary" (PDF). pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
12. Austin, Claire (2005). Irises; A Garden Encyclopedia. Timber Press. ISBN 0881927309.
13. Tom, Suzanne (April 2012). "Conservation News, First survey of threatened trees in Childukhtaron Sanctuary, Tajikistan". Oryx. Fauna & Flora International. 46 (2): 169. doi:10.1017/S0030605312000415.
14. Idrisova, Anastasiya (2010). "Climate change impact on biodiversity and its implications for protected areas management: Case study of Dashtidjum Zakaznik, Tajikistan. Master of Science thesis, Central European University, Budapest" (PDF). etd.ceu.hu. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
15. "Iris darwasica Regel". plantarium.ru. Retrieved 21 May 2015.
16. "Iridaceae Iris darwasica Regel". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index). Retrieved 21 May 2015.
17. "Iris darwasica". Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Agricultural Research Service (ARS), United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Retrieved 21 May 2015.
18. "Iris suworowii Regel is a synonym of Iris darwasica Regel". theplantlist.org. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
19. "Iris darwasica". www.rhs.org.uk. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
20. Kerry Scott Walter, Harriet J. Gillett and World Conservation Monitoring Centre 1997 IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants, p. 679, at Google Books
21. N. Kharin Vegetation Degradation in Central Asia under the Impact of Human Activities, p. 98, at Google Books
22. Glavcheva, Valentina. "Action Plan On Conservation And Sustainable Use Of Biodiversity" (PDF). cdb.int. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
23. Rahmonov, Oimahmad; Michalski, Grzegorz; Rzętała, Mariusz (2003). "Geographical Information Systems – Interdisciplinary Aspects University of Silesia – GIS Forum – SILGIS Association, Sosnowiec" (PDF). gis.us.edu.pl. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
24. "Russian Ornamental". efloras.org (Ornamental Plants from Russia). Retrieved 18 May 2015.
25. "Iris darwasica flowers of Taxhikistan". colnect.com. Retrieved 18 May 2015.
26. "1998, Flowers 4v". postbeeld.com. Retrieved 18 May 2015.

Sources

• Czerepanov, S. K. 1995. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR).
• Khassanov, F. O. & N. Rakhimova. 2012. Taxonomic revision of the genus Iris L. (Iridaceae Juss.) for the flora of Central Asia. Stapfia 97:175.
• Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR. [lists as I. darvasica Regel].
• Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 62.
• Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963–. Flora iranica.

External links

• Has image of the iris flower

Data related to Iris darwasica at Wikispecies