■ (SPEC) Iris Sofarana Foster

1889, Botanical author Foster

Iris sofarana Foster ( Sir Michael Foster, 1889,Lebanon); Section Oncocyclus; Color Code-W9;Matthew treats this now as a separate species, the typical form 30-4- cm tall, heavily veined and spotted purple brown or violet, on a creamy ground. The standards paler than the falls. A blackish-purple round signal patch;

See below:

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

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References:

Foster in The Gardeners' Chronicle 26;p.389 & 391.fig 125. 1899, offered the following diagnosis, "This new Oncocyclus iris was collected for Messrs. Van Tubergen of Haarlem, on the Lebanon, near ain Sofar, at a considerable altitude. A large single flower, with very long, narrow spathe-valves, is borne on a scape about 10 inches high. The nearly elliptical fall, convex laterally, is of a dark purple, almost black color, brought about by very thickset, reticulate, blotched veins very little of which, however, is visible. Over the claw, and running over the hinder part of the blade is a straggling beard of scattered, long, dark purple hairs; in front of these the netted veins are fused together into a very indistinct "signal". Standard almost orbicular, with a groundwork nearly white, marked with thin, dark purple veins, most conspicuous near the margin, interspersed all over with dark purple dots. The dots are scattered, and the veins thin, so that the whole surface is much lighter in color than that of the fall. About a dozen dark purple, almost black, long hairs are scattered over the claw. The styles, placed horizontally, are large, broad, concave, dark purple, almost black, with large quadrate, crenate, not serrate crests, marked with branching blotched purple veins on a yellow ground. The ovary, with a short tube, is of the ordinary Oncocyclus type. The rhizome is large and compact, and the leaves relatively broad, 10 inches by nearly 1 inch, so broad as to seem, when young, those of an ordinary bearded iris. It was sent to Messrs. Van Tubergen as a variety of lortetii, but from this it is widely different. It comes nearest to sari, but differs from this in the form of the segments in their venation and color. It is a handsome iris, well worth cultivating.
Catalogs include Krel 1905; Van Waveren1906; Van Tubergen 1909;
Dykes in The Genus Iris, 1913; Observations. This is another of the many local colour forms that cannot be distinguished from I. Bismarckiana or I. susiana by anything but the colour. It was collected for Mr C. G. Van Tubergen of Haarlem at Ain Sofar on Lebanon. Siebe states that his variety magnifica was found in 1901 near Kartaba on Lebanon. (MS. on specimen (E).) Description. Falls . Thick blotchy veins of a very dark purple almost entirely obscure the creamy white ground. The diffuse beard is of long dark purple hairs. Standards . Much lighter than the falls, with thin dark purple veins and spots on a nearly white ground. Styles , dark purple, almost black.
Amer.Col 1933;1939;
Yr.Bk.I.S.(England) 44.1933;
AM, R.H.S.1936;
The Gardeners' Chronicle 99; 338, 23 May 1938
Gardening Illustrated 58: page 328. 30 May 1936, illustrated;
Year Book, Iris Society (England) 45. 1936
in 1939 checklist as form of Iris Susiana: Registered as SOFARANA

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Synonyms

Iris sofarana Foster, Sofarana; Sofar Iris; Sofurana; Solfarana;

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Chromosome counts

2n=20-Awishai & Zohary 1980. Iris sofarana Foster ----

Variations

Iris sofarana Foster.
subsp. sofarana forma franjieh Chaud., Kirk. & Weym.
subsp. kasruwana (Dinsmore) Chaudhary, Kirkwood & Weymouth

Iris sofarana cultivars 'Franjieh', 'Gwinneri', 'Kasruwana', 'Litani', 'Livida', 'Sofarana Magnifica'.

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Hybrids

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Distribution and Cultivation

Distribution: Region:
Cultivation: