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You are here: Iris Wiki>Spec Web>SpeciesIrises>SpecClausii (08 Apr 2023, Harloiris)Edit Attach

■(SPEC) Iris clausii Schwarz

YYYY, botanical author Schwarz

'Clausii' (Otto Schwarz). Section Iris . Formerly placed as a species but the following information provided by Harrald Mathes suggests this is a clone of Iris pumila L.:

"While looking at the SIGNA Checklist, Part 1 I came again upon the entry I. clausii. I think you may be interested in what I found out about this species. I found its description in A Guide to Species Irises most exciting: 'Flowers pale green with velvety falls.' I was able to detect Toni Willis's address, who was said to have it in cultivation. Unfortunately he lost his I. clausii, but told me that he had once been in Germany (the German Democratic Republic of those days) to visit Dr. Zschummel, an Alpine Garden Society member. Dr. Zschummel took him to Freimut Clauss, who had I. clausii collected in the Caucasus.

"After I had several telephone talks with Dr. Zschummel and Freimut Clauss I learned the following: Freimut Clauss never saw a flowering I.clausii in the wild. He is unable to say whether other color variants were present. He had been there in August when all irises were dormant. Because of the sickle shaped leaves and its bushy beards I. clausii has quite a distinguishing phenotype, and this was for the late Prof. Otto Schwarz reason enough to give it a species status, but apparently he failed to provide a valid description in any scientific journal.

"I. clausii for these reasons cannot be regarded as a species and should be written: I.pumila cv. 'Clausii'.

"1) I.clausii is a clone. Freimut Clauss took home a single rhizome only.

"2) Sickle shaped leaves occur as exception among Austrian pumilas too. Prof. Kurzmann has had a pumila 'Sichelblatt' (Sickle-leaf). I don´t know whether he ever registered it, it is probably no longer in existence.

"Dr. Zschummel was so kind to give me his 'Clausii' and it produced already a bloomstalk last year. It is in good condition and I expect more flowers in the coming spring. Interesting to know that several false I. clausii are circulating in Germany. These stem from seeds allegedly sent by Dr.Rodionenko to a German nursery. Dr. Rodionenko, however, cannot remember to have done so. I am growing these too. They have straight leaves and the beards are narrow".

At the present time, the iris widely distributed under this name is a small violet pumila, presumably one of the "false I. clausii" Mathes refers to.

Possibly a form of Iris pumila L..

See below:

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clausii 2020 001 web.jpgclaussi.JPG
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References:

 
 

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-- Main.RPries - 2010-01-08
I Attachment Action Size Date Who Comment
clausii 2020 001 web.jpgjpg clausii 2020 001 web.jpg manage 83 K 08 Apr 2023 - 14:11 Main.tomlwaters the violet pumila currently in distribution as "clausii"; photo Tom Waters, Cuyamungque, NM, USA
claussi.JPGJPG claussi.JPG manage 409 K 14 Apr 2019 - 12:43 Main.TLaurin Photo scanned from the Carol Lankow slide collection
Topic revision: r13 - 08 Apr 2023, Harloiris
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