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Hartweg's iris, rainbow iris, Sierra iris

long-tube iris, slender 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, producing dense clumps, slender, 0.5–0.7 cm diam., covered with bases of old leaves;

roots fibrous.

Stems

simple, solid, 0.5–3 dm.

simple, solid, 2–3 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 sometimes pink to red basally, finely ribbed, linear, 3–3.5 dm × 0.5 cm, subglaucous, margins not thickened, apex acute;

cauline 1–3, imbricated, mostly free, bractlike, blade linear-lanceolate, 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.

(1–)2-flowered;

spathes often flushed with pink or red, lanceolate, 4–8 cm × 5–10 mm, subequal or unequal and inner somewhat longer than outer, rigid, apex acuminate.

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 pale cream with distinct veins of lavender, reddish brown, or brown, margins often distinctly crisped;

floral tube funnelform, 3–5.8 cm, slender, then expanding abruptly to base of flower;

sepals spreading outward from base and remaining in horizontal position for entire length, narrowly lanceolate to oblanceolate, 4–6.5 × 1.1–1.8 cm, base attenuate into long claw;

petals somewhat spreading, not strictly erect, 4.5–6.5 × 0.6–1.4 cm, base gradually attenuate;

ovary 1–2 cm, gradually tapering to each end;

style 2–3 cm, crests linear, undulate near tip, 1–2.5 cm;

stigmas triangular;

pedicel 0.8–1.8 cm at anthesis.

Capsules

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

oblong, round in cross section, 3–4 cm, base abruptly attenuate into pedicel, apex gradually acuminate into distinct beak apically.

Seeds

brown, irregularly D-shaped, wrinkled.

grayish brown, pyriform to oval, 3 mm, wrinkled.

2n

= 40.

= 40.

Iris hartwegii

Iris tenuissima

Phenology Flowering Jun. Flowering Jun–Jul.
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
[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 tenuissima hybridizes with I. chrysophylla, I. douglasiana, I. hartwegii, I. macrosiphon, I. purdyi, and I. tenax.

(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. 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. pumila, I. purdyi, I. savannarum, I. setosa, I. sibirica, I. tenax, I. tenuis, 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 I. citrina, I. humboldtiana, I. tenuissima subsp. purdyiformis, I. tenuissima var. purdyiformis
Name authority Baker: Gard. Chron., n. s. 6: 323. (1876) Dykes: Gard. Chron., ser. 3, 51: 18. (1912)
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