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Fernald's iris

copper iris

Rhizomes

many-branched, producing dense clumps, compact, slender, ca. 0.6 cm diam., base covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

compact, greenish brown or sometimes red-tinged, many-branched, with ringlike scars of old leaves, 1.5–2 cm diam.

Stems

simple, solid, 2–4 dm.

simple or sometimes 1–2-branched, solid, 3–9 dm.

Leaves

basal with blade gray-green, usually brilliantly colored basally, drying to unusual gray-green, veins fairly prominent, to 4 dm × 0.7–0.8 cm, often quite glaucous, margins not thickened;

cauline 2–several, spreading, sheathing stem for about 1/2 length, foliaceous, blade not inflated.

basal arching distally, blade bright green, lightly ribbed, linear-ensiform, 6–10 dm × 1.5–2.5 cm;

cauline subtending branches, blade 4.5–6 dm.

Inflorescence units

2-flowered;

spathes opposite, connivent, often flushed red basally, broadly lanceolate, 5–9 cm × 6–11 mm, subequal.

1–2-flowered;

spathes unequal, outer green, 10–12 cm, herbaceous, inner 6–8 cm, partly scarious.

Flowers

perianth pale creamy yellow with gold or gray veins;

floral tube funnelform, 3–6.2 cm, spreading apically to form wide throat;

sepals horizontally spreading, claw with deep yellow median line, oblanceolate to spatulate, 4.5–7 × 1–2 cm, base gradually attenuate into broad claw;

petals narrowly oblanceolate, 4.3–6 × 0.6–1.4 cm, base gradually attenuate into narrow claw;

ovary elliptical, nearly circular in cross section, 1.5–2.3 cm;

style 2.2–3 cm, crests divergent, linear to narrowly oblong, 1–1.7 cm;

stigmas triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 0.9–2.2 cm at anthesis.

perianth copper colored or reddish brown (yellow in forma fulvaurea);

floral tube hollow to ovary, 2–2.5 cm;

sepals widely spreading or arching downward, obovate, with 1–3 prominent veins, 4.5–5.5 cm, glabrous, often with lighter yellow basal signal;

petals spreading or declining with sepals, 4–5 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex deeply emarginate;

ovary green, hexagonal, 1.5–1.7 cm;

style convex, not keeled, 1.8–2 cm, crests reflexed, rounded-triangular, margins shallowly toothed;

stigmas 2-lobed, lobes pointed, margins entire;

pedicel 2–4 cm.

Capsules

oblong, roundly trigonal, distinctly beaked, 2.5–3.5 cm.

remaining green even after seeds mature, oblong-elliptic, hexagonal in cross section, with 6 equally spaced ribs, short beak, 4.5–8 × 2.5 cm.

Seeds

dark brown, wrinkled.

in 2 rows per locule, irregular, flattened, 10–15 mm, corky.

2n

= 40.

= 42.

Iris fernaldii

Iris fulva

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Mixed evergreen forest Shallow water or low wet areas
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
AR; IL; KY; LA; MO; MS; TN
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[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Iris fernaldii hybridizes with I. douglasiana, I. innominata, and I. macrosiphon.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Iris fulva hybridizes with I. brevicaulis to produce I. ×fulvala Dykes, which has reddish purple sepals; with I. giganticaerulea to produce I. ×vinicolor Small; and with I. savannarum to produce I. ×cacique (J. Berry) N. C. Henderson.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 387. FNA vol. 26, p. 392.
Parent taxa Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Hexagonae
Sibling taxa
I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica
I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, I. macrosiphon, I. missouriensis, I. munzii, I. orientalis, I. pallida, I. prismatica, I. pseudacorus, I. pumila, I. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica
Synonyms I. fulvaurea
Name authority R. C. Foster: Iridis Sp. Nov., 1. (1938) Ker Gawler: Bot. Mag. 36: plate 1496. (1812)
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