■ (SPEC) Iris anguifuga Zhao

1980, Botanical author Zhao

Iris anguifuga Zhao (Y. T. Zhao of X .J .Xue, 1980, Hubei province China); Section Ophioiris(Some authors include in Section Limniris); 8-12" (20-30 cm). Flowers violet or blue; standards violet, falls white, marked violet around edges and into the center of the blade along veins, stylearms violet; First described in Acta Phytotaxonomica Sinica 18(1); 56. 1980. Generally Irises will have two or more bracts beneath and around the flower bud. Because Iris anguifuga has the unique character of having only one bract Zhao placed in its own section Ophioiris and considered it rather ancestral to many of the Irises in the Limniris. It has a great deal of similarity in general appearance to members of the series Tenuifoliae of Section Limniris and is placed there by several authors. 2n=34, Mao & Xue, 1986. Name derived from stories that it drives away snakes, which is logical since its active period of growth is during the winter and the cold part of the year. In summer it retreats to a dormant subterranean almost bulb-like rhizome, see below. The leaves of the plant are narrow around 1/4" (5 mm) wide and according to the Flora of China are about 3-5" (8-12 cm) and pointed. Growing in Missouri the leaves are longer than this but the 4" in diameter flowers are held above the foliage. The distinctive three angled pods have a beak at the end almost as long as the pod itself. Said to occur in grasslands and hillsides in Anhui, Guangxi, and Hubei it would need a well-drained position in the garden but can be grown under Deciduous trees since the foliage appears during the winter. In it natural grasslands the roots are probably shaded in the summer by the grass and it no doubt benefits some from the root competition in summer keeping the soil from becoming waterlogged. Indeed it may be advisible to provide a dry rest in summer. It has been grown successfully as far north as zone 5 and possibly could be grown even further to the north but that is as yet untested. No variation has been observed and no cultivars selected. It would be interesting to see if it would cross with the series Spuriae. [Iris anguifuga Zhao]. To view line drawing from Iris Of China click here

See below:

• * References
• * Chromosome counts
• * Synonyms
• * Variations
• * Hybrids
• * Distribution and Cultivation

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References:

Iris anguifuga Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 56 (1980).
Yutang, Z., Noltie, H.J. & Mathew, B. (2000). Flora of China 24: 302. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis. Iris anguifuga Y. T. Zhao & X. J. Xue in Y. T. Zhao, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18: 56. 1980. 单苞鸢尾 dan bao yuan wei Rhizomes thick, swollen at apex. Leaves linear, 20--30 cm × 5--7 mm, overwintering, parallel veins 3--6, base surrounded by sheaths and fibers. Flowering stems 30--50 cm, with 3--5 narrowly lanceolate leaves 8--12 cm × ca. 5 mm; spathe solitary, narrowly lanceolate, 10--13,5 cm × ca. 8 mm, 1-flowered. Flowers violet, ca. 10 cm in diam.; pedicel ca. 2,5 cm. Perianth tube ca. 3 cm; outer segments marked with brown lines or dots, fiddle-shaped or oblanceolate, 5--5,5 cm × ca. 8 mm, apex retuse, claw narrow; inner segments marked with bluish brown lines, oblanceolate, 4,5--5 cm × ca. 3 mm. Stamens ca. 2,5 cm; anthers bright yellow. Style branches 4,5--5 cm × ca. 6 mm. Capsule fusiform, 5,5--7 × 1,5--2 cm, 3-angled, yellowish brown pubescent, apex long beaked. Seeds globose, 4--5 mm in diam. Fl. Mar--Apr, fr. May--Jul. 2 n = 22*. Hillsides, grasslands. Anhui, Guangxi, Hubei.

Synonyms

Ophioiris anguifuga (Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue) Rodion., Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 89: 1359 (2004).
Chamaeiris anguifuga (Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue) M.B.Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev, Phytotaxa 232: 64 (2015).

Chromosome counts

Variations

Hybrids

Distribution and Cultivation

Distribution: Region:
Cultivation:

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-- BobPries - 2010-02-01