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.

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

Description edit

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 edit

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 edit

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

Range edit

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 edit

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

Conservation edit

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

Cultivation edit

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

Toxicity edit

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 edit

  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 edit

  • 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)

External links edit

  Data related to Iris serotina at Wikispecies