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■ (SPEC) Iris deflexa Knowles & Westcott

1838, botanical authors Knowles & Westcott

'Deflexa' (G. B. Knowles & Frederic Westcott, 1838, Northern India?). As Iris deflexa Knowles & Westcott in The Floral Cabinet and Magazine of Exotic Botany. Vol. 2, p.19. 1838. Color illustration; Knowles & Westcott provide the following description Iris Deflexa : "Bearded; flower-stem flexuous, declined, many-flowered, longer than the leaves; leaves sword-shaped, curved at the apex, margined, glaucous; lower flowers pedunculated; sheaths green; germen three-sided."
"Description-Rhizoma thick; leaves of a pleasing glaucous green colour, from a foot to eighteen inches high, and from half an inch to an inch and a half broad, curved in a falcate manner more or less at the apex. Scape issuing from the centre of the leaves, flexuous, and declined, bearing from three to five flowers, the upper one of which is sessile, the lower ones longly pedunculate, having the peduncles curved inwards, which gives the flowers on the scape a secund appearance. The sheaths are of unequal sizes, decreasing in size from the bottom to top. The three exterior petals are reflexed and tongue-shaped, of a lilac colour, or perhaps more of a violet purple intersected with white streaks, which have a delicate appearance if viewed under the petaloid stigma. The beard is yellow. The three interior petals are alternate with the exterior ones, roundish oval in form, and connivent; their colour is darker than the exterior ones, and beautifully streaked with brown at the base. The stigma partakes more or less of the colour of the interior petals. The divisions of the stigma are jagged and incurved. The pollen is greenish. Tube of flowers longer than the germen; germen three-sided."
"This is a very elegant species of Iris, and when in perfection, diffuses a grateful perfume much resembling the sweetness of the rose. It was brought from the East in the year 1833, by ---- Boultbee, Esq., of Springfield, near Knowle, through whose kindness it was presented to the Birmingham Botanic Garden."
"It was received with the name Iris Nepalensis; but from that species we think it certainly distinct."
"A fine-flowered specimen was sent to Sir W. J. Hooker about eighteen months ago, for publication in the Botanical Magazine; and we have since been informed by that learned professor that he has considered it so near to Iris subbiflora, Bot. Mag. T. 1130, as to doubt if it be specifically distinct from that plant; which circumstance has caused its publication to be delayed."
"We feel assured that Sir W. J. Hooker will excuse our differing from him in opinion as after the most careful examination we believe our plant to be clearly distinct from Iris subbiflora. It differs from that species, first, in having the scape flexuous, and deflexed, and bearing four and sometimes five flowers (never less than three), and by having a three-sided germen. Furthermore, its constitution is so very tender, that it requires a stove heat, or that of a warm greenhouse."
Four or five plants of this species have flowered in the Birmingham Botanic Garden, propagated from the parent plant, which have possessed all the peculiarities above mentioned."
The treatment it requires is either a cool stove or a stove or a greenhouse; but Mr. Cameron, the indefatigable curator of the above establishment, says he has never succeeded with it out of doors. It should be potted in loam and peat, and may be increased by dividing just before it begins to grow, which generally takes place in September; and during the winter months it usually puts forth its flowers." Dammann 1899.

Possibly a form of Iris germanica

deflexa.jpg

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-- Main.RPries - 2010-01-09
I Attachment Action Size Date Who CommentSorted ascending
deflexa.jpgjpg deflexa.jpg manage 84 K 22 Jul 2016 - 11:20 BobPries Courtesy of the Biodiversity Heritage Library
Topic revision: r4 - 22 Jul 2016, BobPries
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