(SPEC) Iris thompsonii R. C. Foster
1937, Botanical author Robert C. Foster
Iris thompsonii R. C. Foster
Series Californicae
Flower color is typically purple, but varies among other colors, including white, cream, gray, blue, red and lavender. The perianth tube is longer than in
I. douglasiana or
I. innominata. Plants are small, evergreen, with narrow leaves. There are one to two flowers per stem.
Long thought to be a natural hybrid between
Iris douglasiana and
Iris innominata, this purple flowered species was recognized as a separate species initally by R.C. Foster, then subsumed into
Iris innominata as a purple-flowered form by L. Lenz. In 1990, Wilson et al completed chromatography studies on all three species and concluded it is a valid species in on its own.
I. thompsonii is found south of Powers, Oregon in Coos County, southward into northern Del Norte County, California. It grows on open, lightly wooded sites, with sunnier aspect than preferred by
I. innominata, and is well inland from the coastal areas preferred by
I. douglasiana. Soil preference appears to be transitional between serpentines and non-serpentine soils in this region.
References: Wilson et al, 1990. Madrono 37:113.
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Interested in Iris Species? Please visit the:
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Your Observations Are Valued. Please make note of bud count, branching, purple based foliage and bloom time, etc. Because these are affected by climate, note date, year and geographic location and write these and other comments in the comment box below.
-- Main.RPries - 2010-02-23