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Hartweg's iris, rainbow iris, Sierra iris

Del Norte County iris, Del Norte iris, golden 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.

freely branching, forming compact tufts, slender, 0.3–0.4 cm diam., covered with remains of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

Stems

simple, solid, 0.5–3 dm.

simple, solid, slender, 2–2.5 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 evergreen, abundant, blade dark, shining green on one side, lighter green on the other, pink to deep purple basally, 3.5 dm × 0.2–0.4 cm, longer than flowering stem, margins not thickened;

cauline 2–4, sheathing stem for about 2/3 length, foliaceous, spreading, blade not inflated, 4–9 cm.

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.

1(–2)-flowered;

spathes closely enclosing ovary and floral tube, broadly lanceolate to ovate, 3.3–6 cm × 5–7 mm, herbaceous, margins scarious.

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 usually dark golden yellow, cream, pink, lavender, or purple, heavily veined purple or brown;

floral tube 1.5–3 cm;

sepals usually yellow with heavy veining, broadly oblanceolate, 4.5–6 × 1.7–3 cm, base gradually attenuate, margins often wavy;

petals same color as sepals with lighter veining, narrowly oblanceolate, 4–5.7 × 0.9–1.6 cm, base gradually attenuate;

ovary roundly triangular in cross section, 1.5–1.8 cm;

style 2–2.6 cm, crests overlapping, subquadrate to semiovate, 0.9–1.4 cm, margins irregularly toothed;

stigmas triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 0.4–1.3 cm at anthesis.

Capsules

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

oblong-oval, circular in cross section, 2.5 × 1.2 cm.

Seeds

brown, irregularly D-shaped, wrinkled.

in 2 rows per locule, dark brown, oval, sharply angled, 3 mm, wrinkled, pitted.

2n

= 40.

= 40.

Iris hartwegii

Iris innominata

Phenology Flowering Jun. Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat Yellow-pine forests on sunny or partially shaded slopes Dry, sunny woods
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 innominata hybridizes with I. bracteata, I. chrysophylla, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. macrosiphon, I. munzii, I. purdyi, and I. tenax. It is known only from southwestern Oregon and Del Norte County in northwestern California.

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

Source FNA vol. 26, p. 385. FNA vol. 26, p. 387.
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. chrysophylla, I. cristata, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, 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) L. F. Henderson: Rhodora 32: 23. (1930)
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