User:DavidAnstiss/Iris aitchsonii

Iris aitchisonii is a species in the genus Iris'', it is also in the subgenus of Iris and in the Scorpiris section. It is

MUST REMEMBER WHEN MOVE TO RENAME AS Iris aitchisonii (WITH IS IN MIDDLE)

Description
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'. 2 cm long 10 - 15 cm

Bulb tunic papery, dark brown, developed into a neck. Roots fleshy and long, not markedly swollen. Leaves 3-6 well developed at the flowering time, up to 40 cm long, 3-8 mm broad, linear, suberect, rather flaccid, glabrous, margin not conspicuously white. Stem up to 36 cm in height, nodes and internodes visible. Fl. Per.: March-April. Inflorescence 1-3 flowered. Bracts 5-6 cm long. Perianth 5-6 cm in diameter, yellow or violet or sometimes yellow and brown; falls 3.5-5.5 cm long; claw 2-3.5 cm long. Standard reflexed 1.2-2.5 cm long, hypanthial tube 2.5-3.5 cm long. Stamens with filaments 0.5-1.2 cm, anthers 1.1-2.0 cm. Style branches 3.4-4.4 cm long, lobes c. 1-1.3 cm long, acute; stigma emarginate, crenate. Fruit sessile, 3.7-5.7 (-8.4) cm long, linear-oblong, glabrous, tip acute, pointed, longitudinally running veins, 3 veins more prominent. Seeds 2.5-3.5 mm long, 1.5-2.0 mm broad, ovate with a beak, dark brown, warty, aril absent.

Botanical Description Usually 15-30cm tall but sometimes much more. Mature leaves up to 8mm wide by 40cm long. Flowers about 6cm long, deep yellow or violet or bicoloured, with some brownish or purple markings, spring. Afghanistan to Pakistan, in moist grassy places which dry out in summer. Difficult to grow to flowering size in the alpine house and worth trying outside with perhaps some protection from rain when dormant.

Chromosome Count:

2n=34(M. Gustafsson) (Peter Taggart (UK), 06-JAN-10)

General Description:

A very small juno bulb with papery dark tunics, the bulb is pointed in a long neck. the tubers are very long ( perhaps 6- 8") and thin. they fall off VERY easily. the leaves are narrow and long, fairly upright developed well before flowering. according to Mathew the stem is up to 35 cm, for me in the clone I grow, it is about 20cm, this is still tall enough to make such a small plant look spindly. visible internodes at flowering, 1-3 flowers in my plant of a strong yellow, but variable in colour according to Mathew with Bicolour forms of yellow/brown, or violet recorded. the flowers have a solid appearance with wide falls (Peter Taggart (UK), 06-JAN-10)

Distinguishing Features:

Standards 3 lobed (Peter Taggart (UK), 06-JAN-10)

Preferred Habitat:

"seasonally moist areas on grassy slopes about 900m." (mathew). Cultivate in deep pots of rich stony compost with dolomitic dust and gravel around the bulb. (Peter Taggart (UK), 06-JAN-10)

Hardiness:

N/A

Native Range:

Pakistan, E Afghanistan, (ref Mathew) (Peter Taggart (UK), 06-JAN-10)

Remarks: A  small  herb   with   violet   flowers. Outer petals    having  yellow   central   crest. It is found in India within Channi Prath and Thanda Pani. A plant specimen is stored in the Janaki Ammal Herbarium within the Indian Institute of integrative Medicine, Jammu

The plant has tiny hamburger-like shaped pollen with small spikes.

Biochemistry
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes. This can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. It has a chromosome count: 2n=24.

The organic and aqueous plant extracts of Iris aitchisonii (Bakar) Boiss. were obtained in petroleum ether, chloroform, methanol and water and were tested for their antioxidant potential, using four techniques

Taxonomy
The specific epithet is in reference to the plant collector Dr. Aitchison who found it in March of 1874, growing on Mount Tilla in the Jhelum district of the Punjab. He also found Tulipa aitchisonii A.D.Hall, which is now listed as a synonym of Tulipa clusiana.

A specimen of Iris aitchisonii at Kew bears the printed label stating "Punjab. Coll. Dr. Aitchison, Comm. Aug. 1974". "1118 Xiphion aitchisoni Baker" was determined to be the hand writing of Baker.

It was first found and collected in Afghan, it was then first described as Xiphion aitchisonii by John Gilbert Baker in Journal of Botany, British and Foreign (J. Bot.) Vol.13 on page 108 in 1875. It was then moved to the Iris Genus by Pierre Edmond Boissier in Flora Orientalis sive enumeratio plantarum in Oriente a Graecia et Aegypto ad Indiae... (Fl. Orient.) Vol.5 on page 123 in 1882.

It was also published as Juno aitchisonii (Baker) Klatt in Abh. Naturf. Ges. Halle vol.12 on page 362 also in 1882, but as all Juno irises were moved into the genus iris. Iris aitchisonii (Baker) Boiss. is the standard name.

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, and as of June 2021, it is listed as a tentatively accepted name by the RHS.

Distribution and habitat
Iris aitchisonii is native to temperate areas of eastern Asia.

Asia-Temperate WESTERN ASIA: Afghanistan (e.) Asia-Tropical INDIAN SUBCONTINENT: Pakistan (n.)

Range
It is commonly found

Plant range= SW Asia to Himalaya Native to: Afghanistan, Pakistan, West Himalaya Distribution: E. Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir.

Habitat
It can be found growing in

Cultivation
It is the first record of this taxon from Kashmir. It is a plant of moist areas on grassy slopes, c. 900 m. It is reported to be successfully cultivated in deep pots in alpine house or in bulb frames (B. Mathew, 1997).

In general, Iris subg. Scorpiris (or Juno Irises), are dormant in summer and then grow leaves in mid-winter or early spring. In temperate areas (such as the Europe and America), they are only suitable for growing by specialist iris growers, within a alpine house. bulb frame or greenhouse.

Propagation
Irises can generally be propagated by division, or by seed growing. Irises generally require a period of cold, then a period of warmth and heat, also they need some moisture. Some seeds need stratification, (the cold treatment), which can be carried out indoors or outdoors. Seedlings are generally potted on (or transplanted) when they have 3 leaves.

Toxicity
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also, handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.

Other sources

 * Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 142.
 * Nasir, E. & S. I. Ali, eds. 1970-. Flora of [West] Pakistan.
 * Rechinger, K. H., ed. 1963-. Flora iranica.