■ (SPEC) Iris meda Stapf

1885, Botanical author Stapf

_Iris meda_ Stapf. (Otto Stapf, 1885, Central Persia); Section Oncocyclus ; 4-10" (10-25 cm); Flowers characterized by irregularly undulate segments; cream or whitish ground color, suffused or veined golden brown; Large darker brown to purplish signal patch; beard, prominent long yellow hairs;

See below:

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

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References:

Denkschr. Acad. Wein. 50: 20,; (Bot. Ergeb. Polak. Exped. Pers.) 1885;
Baker in Curtis's Botanical Magazine 115: tab 7040. 1889, provides the following information which undoubtedly precipitated a good deal of confusion; "This is a well-marked new Iris, which was discovered in Persia in the year 1882 by the Austrian traveler, Polak, and introduced by him to Vienna. Its nearest alliance is with the South European Iris Chamaeiris of Bertoloni, of which the flower in the type is yellow, and of which there are two fine violet varieties, one of which, I. olbiensis, Henon, was figured, Bot. Mag. T. 6110. Probably the present species will be also found to be variable in color, as in the original description violet and lilac are mentioned. It is said to flower in its native home at the middle of May, and this was also the case in England. Our drawing was made from a plant grown at Shelford by Professor Michael Foster. Descri. Rhizome short-creeping, weaker than that of I. pumila. Basal leaves about four, linear, glaucescent, not more than three or four inches long at the flowering time. Stem one-headed, about as long as the leaves. Spathe one-flowered; valves contiguous, lanceolate, herbaceous, two or two and a half inches long; pedicels scarcely any. Ovary cylindrical, under an inch long; perianth-tube green, cylindrical, as long as the ovary; segments of the limb (in our plant) greenish-yellow, copiously veined from top to bottom with brown; outer segments oblong-cuneate, reflexing from half-way down, brown in the center, with a dense yellow beard; inner segments as long as the outer, rather narrower, oblong-unguiculate, erect. Style-branches broad and convex on the back; crests small, deltoid, crenate. Anther linear, longer than the filament." Perhaps Baker did not have what we presently know as I. meda.
Wendelbo, P. & Mathew, B (1975). Flora Iranica 112: 1-79. Naturhistorisches Museums Wien.
Dykes in The Genus Iri, 1913; Description. This description is taken partly from the original account, partly from the Botanical Magazine (I.e.) and partly from Foster's MS. notes. Rootstock , a short-creeping rhizome, weaker than that of I. pumila. Leaves, about 4 to a tuft, linear, glaucescent, 4-6 ins. long at flowering time. Stem, one-headed, about as long as the leaves. Spathe , one-flowered ; valves lanceolate, herbaceous, 2-2½ in. long. Pedicel , scarcely any. Ovary, under 1 in. long, rounded trigonal. Tube , green cylindrical, as long as the ovary. Falls , oblong-cuneate, reflexing from half-way down, with a dark signal patch and a dense yellow beard. The colour of the segments is either lilac purple, or greenish yellow with thick dark purple veins. Standards , longer than the falls, oblong-unguiculate, erect; the colour is either lilac purple slightly paler than the falls or greenish yellow with brown veins. Styles , broad and convex on the back. Crests , small, deltoid crenate. Stigma( , entire. *Filaments , Anthers , longer than the filament. Pollen , Capsule , of the Oncocyclus character, 2½ in. long, pointed at either end. Seeds , globular, light reddish brown, with conspicuous aril. Observations. This Iris was classed by Baker among the Pogoniris and said to be allied to I. chamaeiris but the specimens quoted and the details which Baker himself gives (Bot. Mag., I.e.) leave no doubt that I. meda belongs to the Oncocyclus group. This supposition is confirmed by a note in Foster's MS. that the seeds of the plants, from which the Botanical Magazine figure was prepared, were large and globular with a conspicuous aril. The figure portrayed the yellow-flowered variety, which is mentioned by Stapf in his original description, although his type had purple flowers. In 1888 Foster received from the plains between Tel Erman and Armonde to the south of Mardin in Mesopotamia an Iris very closely allied to I. meda, if not identical with it (MS.). It grew there abundantly in a somewhat light red loam and its rhizome was markedly stoloniferous. It only differed from I. meda in having a whitish and not a distinctly yellow beard and slightly broader falls. For cultivation see the remarks on the Oncocyclus section, p. 108.
Yr. Bk., I.S.(E.) 43, 1933;

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Synonyms:

Karaghan Iris.; Iris fibrosa, Freyn; Iris medea; Straussii, Leichtlin ex Mitcheli. Iris fibrosa Freyn, Bull. Herb. Boissier 4: 182 (1896). ----

Variations

Iris meda has no registered varieties; ----

Hybrids

Iris meda has the following two crosses; 'Amboy Agate', 'Moleskin' ----

Distribution & Cultivation

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