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Hartweg's iris, rainbow iris, Sierra iris

golden leaf iris, slender-tubed iris, yellow-flower iris, yellow-leaf iris

Rhizomes

creeping, not producing dense clumps, covered with remains of old leaves, slender to moderately thick, 0.5–0.9 cm diam.;

roots fibrous.

compact, dark brown, slender, 0.5–0.6 cm diam., covered with old leaf bases;

roots few, fibrous.

Stems

simple, solid, 0.5–3 dm.

simple, solid, slender, 0.25–2 dm.

Leaves

basal deciduous, blade pale green, not pink basally, 2–4.5 dm × 0.2–0.6(–1) cm, sometimes glaucous, margins not thickened;

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

basal with blade light green, pink or red-tinged basally, finely ribbed, linear-acute, 2.5–5 dm × 0.3–0.5 cm, somewhat glaucous, margins not thickened;

cauline 1–3, imbricated, blade bractlike, inflated.

Inflorescence units

1–2(–3)-flowered;

spathes divergent, separated by 1.5–4 cm, linear to linear-lanceolate, unequal, outer 5–11 cm × 4–7 mm, inner 5–6 cm × 2–3 mm, herbaceous, apex acute.

usually 2–flowered;

spathes sometimes flushed pink or purple apically, lanceolate to linear-lanceolate, 5–10 cm × 3–7 mm, unequal, outer much shorter and narrower than inner, herbaceous, margins often scarious, apex acute.

Flowers

perianth lavender, cream, or pale to deep yellow;

floral tube funnelform, 0.5–1(–1.5) cm;

sepals oblanceolate, 4–7 × 1.4–2 cm, base gradually attenuate;

petals narrowly oblanceolate, 3.5–6 × 0.5–1.1 cm, widest at about 1/2 their length, base abruptly attenuate, claw 1–2 mm wide;

ovary nearly cylindrical, 1–2 cm;

style 1.6–3 cm, crests overlapping, obtusely angled, 0.5–1.1 cm;

stigmas acutely triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 0.5–2.5 cm at anthesis, lengthening to 3.5–7.5 cm at maturity.

perianth cream or very pale yellow, with deeper yellow or lavender veins;

floral tube linear, slender, 4.5–12 cm;

sepals with bluish tinge and veins, oblanceolate, 4.6–7 × 1–2 cm, base gradually attenuate;

petals lanceolate, 3–5.5 × 0.6–1.2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex emarginate;

ovary 1–1.8 cm, base abruptly attenuate into pedicel (when present), apex gradually acuminate into floral tube;

style 2–3 cm, crests 1.5–2 cm, sometimes exceeding arms, apex narrowly pointed;

stigmas tongue-shaped, margins entire;

pedicel absent or 0.5–1 cm at anthesis.

Capsules

oblong-oval, 3-angled, tapering abruptly at either end, 2–3 cm.

sometimes on elongated pedicel, oblong, round in cross section, sharply beaked, 2–3 cm.

Seeds

brown, irregularly D-shaped, wrinkled.

buff, slightly compressed.

2n

= 40.

= 40.

Iris hartwegii

Iris chrysophylla

Phenology Flowering Jun. Flowering Apr–Jun.
Habitat Yellow-pine forests on sunny or partially shaded slopes Open, coniferous forests
Distribution
from FNA
CA
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
from FNA
CA; OR
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Plants with pedicels 2.8–4.7 cm, and flowers light purple or bluish violet have been recognized as subsp. australis. Plants having a 3-flowered inflorescence unit, leaves about 1 cm wide, and pale yellow flowers with golden yellow veining have been called subsp. columbiana. Plants having both flowers open at the same time rather than consecutively, pedicels averaging only 1 cm, long narrow style arms and crests, and floral tubes 1.2–1.5 cm have been named subsp. pinetorum.

Iris hartwegii hybridizes with I. douglasiana, I. innominata, I. macrosiphon, I. munzii, I. tenax, and I. tenuissima. It is known from Butte County to Kern County.

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

Iris chrysophylla hybridizes with I. bracteata, I. douglasiana, I. innominata, I. macrosiphon, I. purdyi, I. tenax, and I. tenuissima.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 385. FNA vol. 26, p. 386.
Parent taxa Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae
Sibling taxa
I. bracteata, I. brevicaulis, I. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, 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. 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. 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. hartwegii subsp. australis, I. hartwegii var. australis, I. hartwegii subsp. columbiana, I. hartwegii subsp. pinetorum, I. pinetorum
Name authority Baker: Gard. Chron., n. s. 6: 323. (1876) Howell: Fl. N. W. Amer., 633. (1902)
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