Iris ruthenica | |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Monocots |
Order: | Asparagales |
Family: | Iridaceae |
Genus: | Iris |
Subgenus: | Iris subg. Limniris |
Section: | Iris sect. Limniris |
Series: | Iris ser. Ruthenicae |
Species: | I. ruthenica
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Binomial name | |
Iris ruthenica | |
Synonyms [1] | |
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Iris ruthenica, sometimes called ever blooming iris (in the UK), Russian iris, pilgrim iris and Hungarian iris (in Europe), is a species in the genus Iris- subgenus Limniris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, with a wide distribution, ranging from eastern Europe to Central Asia. It has grass-like leaves, thick stem and violet or bluish lavender flowers which are marked with violet veining.
Iris ruthenica is very variable and hybrids can look very similar to Iris uniflora, [2] the other species in the Iris series Ruthenicae. It can be variable with its leaf length width, and flower height. [3]
It has a creeping rhizome, [4] [5] [6] (about 3–5 mm in diameter) which is branched and has fibrous roots. [2] The creeping rhizome forms a clump or a grass-like tuft plant. [3] [7] [8]
It has bright green leaves, [6] [7] [8] or greyish green leaves. [2] [5] That are tall and thin, and grass-like, [3] [9] [10] measuring between 10 – 40 cm (8–13 in) long and 2 – 6 mm wide. [2] [3] [7] The leaves can grow longer than the flower stem. [9]
The plant (stem and flowers) grows to a height of between 3–20 cm [4] [11] [2] (12 in). [8]
The thick stem is 2–3 cm wide, [9] can grow to heights of between 3–20 cm. [2] [4] [10] It has the remains of last year's leaves at the base of the stem. [9]
It blooms in spring, [12] (between May, June and July in the UK), [8] [11] or early to mid-summer, [3] with one normally, but occasionally 2 fragrant flowers. [2] [3] [13]
The large flowers are between 3–5 cm in diameter, [2] [3] [7] with a cylindrical, [9] perianth tube measuring 0.5–1.5 cm long. [2] [6] The flowers come in a range of blue shades between violet [2] [3] [11] and bluish lavender. [3] [4] [13] Which are marked with violet veining. [3] [5] [8] 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'. [14] The falls (measuring 4.5–5 cm) are white. [6] [8] [13] The standards (measuring 4–6 cm) are almost erect. [2] [7] [6] The bracts (measuring 3–5 cm ) are greenish with pink margins, [6] violet blue stigma, [12] and milky white anthers. [2]
It has a globose (globe-like) ovoid-shaped seed capsule (measuring 1.2—1.5 cm) in June–August (after the flowering period is over). [2] [9] [15] Once they are ripe, the seed capsules are fully open and all the seeds are dispersed in one movement. Unlike other iris species. [15] The seeds are pyriform (pear-shaped) and have an aril (white appendage on the edge of the seed). [2] [7] The aril disappears soon after and shrivels up. [15]
As most irises are diploid (having two sets of chromosomes), this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. [14] It has a chromosome count of 2n=84 [2] [11] [16] (found by Simonet in 1934). [17]
It is written as 紫苞鸢尾 in Chinese script, [18] and known as 'zi bao yuan wei'. [2]
It is named after the region of the ' Ruthenia', in Transylvania and Romania. [15]
It has several common names: 'ever blooming iris' (in the UK), [19] [20] 'Russian iris', [7] [12] [21] 'pilgrim iris' (sometimes called a synonym of Iris ruthenica), [17] [22] and 'Hungarian iris' in Europe. [10]
It is known as ungersk iris in Sweden. [23]
Iris ruthenica was first published by John Bellenden Ker Gawler in Botanical Magazine in 1808. [23] [24] It was later published in 1811, as Iris ruthenica with the common name 'pigmy iris' in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, vol. 34, table 1393. [17] Pigmy iris is now used as the common name of Iris pumila.
It was mentioned the journals of Captain Beechy's Voyage (in 1825), [25] and is mentioned in Cherepanov's Vascular Plants of Russia. [26]
It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 2 October 2014, [23] and is an accepted name by the RHS. [20]
Iris ruthenica is native to a wide region, including temperate Asia and Europe. [23]
It is found in southern Russia and Siberia, [4] [12] [9] through Central Asia, [27] (including Altai Mountains and Turkestan, [15] on the Tien Shen mountain range, [4] Kazakhstan and Mongolia), [28] to China and Korea. [2] [3] [6] Within Europe, it is found in Romania. [23]
It is listed with Iris bloudowii, Iris humilis, Iris lactea, Iris sibirica, Iris tenuifolia and Iris tigridia as being found in the Altai-Sayan region (where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together). [29]
It is found on dry meadows (including grass plains and steppes), pine and birch forest edges and edges of woodland. [3] [4] [8] It can also be found in forest clearings in the forest-meadow mountain belt. Forming a thicket ground-cover. [4]
In Mongolia it is found under Pinus sylvestris/ Betula platyphylla subtaiga forests, in montane meadow steppes with Festuca lenensis and Artemisia sericea and in Pinus sibirica/ Picea obovata dark taiga forests (within the upper montane belt with Rubus saxatilis and Lathyrus humilis). [30]
Elsewhere in Eurasia, it is found in the Larch forests of Altai and Sayan mountains including Tuva). [31]
It is also found in Tuvan Forests as a subcanopy woody species. [32]
On the Altai Mountains, it is found with other mountain flowers including Siberian dogs-tooth violet ( Erythronium krylovii), Altai Foxtail Lily ( Eremurus), a variety of saxifrages, Aquilegia, Gentiana grandiflora, Papaver nudicaule and the yellow Iris bloudowii. [28]
It is found at altitudes of between 1800 and 3600 m. [2] [3]
It is hardy to USDA Zone 2, [7] or Zone 3. [5]
Iris ruthenica does not flower very well in the UK. [13] It is best cultivated in fertile soils that do not dry out. [12] [15] It is best suited for Rock Gardens or at the front of a flower border. [12] [13] [14] Although sinks or troughs could be used. [13] It also grows well on dry peat banks. [33] It is tolerant of semi-shade, but prefers full sun. [7] [5] [13]
Unlike many other irises, it can only be moved with success, during the spring and summer when it is in full growth. [10] [13] [15]
Iris ruthenica is grown in several Russian botanical gardens including, Barnaul, Ivanovo, Irkutsk, Kirov, Moscow, Rostov-on-Don, St. Petersburg, Stavropol, Tomsk, Omsk, Novosibirsk and Chita. [4]
It can be propagated by division or by seed. [5] [15] The seeds should be sown in the autumn and the rhizomes divided in early spring. [4] The seeds germinate fairly quickly and new plants are easily raised. [15] But the young plants must not dry out. [10] The old and damaged rhizomes should be removed before replanting. [5]
Iris ruthenica var. nana was once thought to be a smaller variety of Iris ruthenica. [17] [34] but this is now considered a synonym. [1]
Although, Iris ruthenica var. brevituba which has a small perianth tube, [2] and violet flowers, [35] it is also now considered a variant. [36]
Iris ruthenica has the following known cultivars;
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