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Fernald's iris

dwarf iris

Rhizomes

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

roots fibrous.

freely branching, producing dense clumps, 1–1.5 cm diam.

Stems

simple, solid, 2–4 dm.

absent or not more than 1 cm.

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.

ascending-spreading;

blade grayish green, ensiform or slightly falcate, 8–10 cm × 6–15 mm at anthesis, increasing to 15–20 cm in length on innovations after flowering, dying back in autumn, new growth only in spring, glaucous.

Inflorescence units

2-flowered;

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

1-flowered, sessile in spathes;

spathes 5–10 cm;

outer darker green than inner, inner closely shielding floral tube.

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.

floral tube with 3 purple stripes in line with midrib of petals, slender, 6–10 cm × 2–3 mm, lifting expanded portion of flower out of spathes;

sepals yellow, blue, or purple, with yellowish or bluish beard, often with contrasting spot around beard at base of limb, 4–5 × 1.2–2 cm;

petals with darker veins near base, rounded-ovate, broader than sepals, 4–5 × 2.2–2.7 cm, narrowing abruptly to brown-veined claw, apex emarginate;

ovary rounded-trigonal, ca. 1 cm × 4–5 mm;

style crests triangular, margins serrate distally;

stigmas rounded on distal margin, margins entire;

pedicel absent.

Capsules

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

borne on tips of rhizomes at ground level or slightly below, rounded-trigonal, with short portion of dried floral tube forming tip, smooth, 2–3.5 × 1.5–2 cm, dehiscing while green.

Seeds

dark brown, wrinkled.

usually in 2 rows per locule, light brown, subspherical, 3–5 mm diam., wrinkled.

2n

= 40.

= 30, 31, 32, 36.

Iris fernaldii

Iris pumila

Phenology Flowering Apr–Jul. Flowering late Mar–mid May.
Habitat Mixed evergreen forest Dry, grassy areas
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
IL; IN; MI; OH; c Europe; e Europe [Introduced in North America]
[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 pumila has been shown to be a natural amphidiploid hybrid between I. pseudopumila Boissier & Heldreich and I. attica Tineo, both 2n = 16. Like many other such hybrids, its range of variability is so extensive that many of its forms have been given specific names. In spite of the variability in color and size, it is now recognized as a distinct species. During the past 50 years, it has been crossed repeatedly with several other species, including I. germanica and its mixed progeny, and this has introduced patterns from the tall-bearded iris into the dwarfs, and vice versa. The ranges of flowering season and plant height are now almost continuous from one extreme to the other, and intermediate groups are now recognized.

Iris pumila is widely grown in gardens and often persists for years after cultivation around old dwellings and along roadsides. It is thus extremely difficult to document and map its spontaneous occurrence. Although most, if not all, of the modern dwarf irises are of hybrid parentage, a number of herbarium specimens from the nineteenth century seem to represent wild forms of I. pumila.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 387. FNA vol. 26, p. 375.
Parent taxa Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Iris
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. 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. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, I. tenuissima, I. tridentata, I. verna, I. versicolor, I. virginica
Name authority R. C. Foster: Iridis Sp. Nov., 1. (1938) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 38. (1753)
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