Iris henryi

Iris henryi is a beardless rhizomatous iris. It is in the genus Iris, subgenus Limniris and in the series Chinenses of the genus, from China. It has thin green leaves, short stem and light-blue, to creamy-white or pale yellow flowers.

Iris henryi
Scientific classification Edit this 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. Chinenses
Species:
I. henryi
Binomial name
Iris henryi
Synonyms[1]
  • Iris gracilipes Pamp.
  • Limniris henryi (Baker) Rodion.

Description

It is a small plant which makes foliage resembling a miniature Iris graminea (in Spuria section), the buds do not show up, and the flowers suddenly open up flat at the height of leaf tips,[2]

It has thin long rhizome.[3]

Each tuft of six or eight slender green leaves produces a single stem.[3][4] The leaves can reach 20–25 cm in length and around 3 mm in width. They are visibly ribbed (3 raised ribs).[5]

The stem reaches up to 8 cm (4–6 inches) in height, with a single, two-flowered (bud) spathe.[3][4] The spathe valves are entirely green when the flower is expanded, and though they are an inch or more in length, yet the pedicel (stem of the flower) is even longer, so that the ovary is exposed above the spathes.[3] The perianth tube is very short at 4 mm long.[5]

The flower buds are yellow, but the flowers blooming in April, range from light-blue,[4] to creamy-white or pale yellow.[5] They are about 3 cm in diameter, and have a small yellow patch in the centre of the falls, which deepens to green on the haft, the outside of falls are yellow, shading to green in the lower half (the haft near the stem).[5]

The two flowers (on the double spathe) open together for about 4 days, the first flower lasting for about 10 days in good conditions.[5]

Capsules and seeds have not seen or described. They are very difficult to cultivate into producing seed.[5]

Taxonomy

It is known as chang bing yuan wei in Pidgin in China, which is translated into English as 'long-pedicel iris'.[6]

It was first published by Baker in 'Handbook of the Irideae' in Aug–Nov 1892.[7]

It was later published by Liu Yin in 'Chinese Magazine of Botany' 3(2):591 in 1936. It was also published as 'Iris gracilipes' by Renato Pampanini (Pamp). in Nuov. Gion. Bot. Ital. in 1915. (Now classed as a synonym of Iris henryi)[1] Then in the 'Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society'. 42: 1, 78. in October 1916.[5]

It was named after an Irish plantsman and sinologist Augustine Henry.[8]

Distribution and habitat

Iris henryi is native to China.[4][6]

Range

In China, it is found within the Chinese provinces, of Anhui, Gansu, Hubei, Hunan and Sichuan.[6]

It is also found in the thick grasses on the hillsides of Kiai Chow,[5] and near the middle Yangtze near Ichang.[9]

Cultivation

It is best cultivated in a greenhouse, but it is susceptible to mould if too dry or wet in winter, and it is also prone to desiccation during the spring or summer.[2]

References
  1. "Iris henryi Baker". theplantlist.org. 23 February 2012. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  2. Taggart, Peter. "Iris henryi". signa.org. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  3. Dillistone, G. "Dykes on Irises" (PDF). beardlessiris.org. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
  4. "Beardless Irises". pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 July 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  5. "(SPEC) Iris henryi Baker". wiki.irises.org. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  6. "Iris henryi". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 13 July 2015.
  7. "Iridaceae Iris henryi Baker". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index). Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  8. Morley, Brian D. "Augustine Henry: his botanical activities in China, 1882–1890". botanicgardens.ie. Archived from the original on 23 September 2015. Retrieved 21 October 2014.
  9. Dykes, William R. (1924). A Handbook of Garden Irises. ISBN 978-1176025158.

Sources
  • Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 79.
  • Waddick, J. W. & Zhao Yu-tang. 1992. Iris of China.
  • Wu Zheng-yi & P. H. Raven et al., eds. 1994–. Flora of China (English edition).
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