Iris longipetala |
|
---|---|
coast iris, long-petal iris |
|
Rhizomes | with short, creeping branches, stout, 2–2.5 cm diam., covered with bases of old leaves; roots numerous, fleshy. |
Stems | simple or 1–2-branched, solid, 3–6 dm. |
Leaves | basal persistent, blade dark green, turning gray or yellow-brown when drying, veins not prominent, linear, 4–7 dm × 0.6–1 cm, usually longer than stem, glaucous or subglaucous, apex acute; cauline 2–3, reduced. |
Inflorescence units | 3–6-flowered; spathes distant, inner sometimes 10 cm distal to outer, green, narrowly linear-lanceolate, 8–15 cm × 20–40 mm, herbaceous, margins and apex scarious. |
Flowers | perianth pale blue-violet or nearly white, with lilac-purple veins; floral tube funnelform, 0.5–1.3 cm; sepals spreading, then drooping at apex, white, flecked and veined with violet, obovate, 8–10 × 3–5 cm, base attenuate into narrow claw with prominent yellow ridge, signal a yellowish basal patch; petals semierect, oblong, 8–9 × 1.5–2 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex emarginate, bluntly rounded; ovary trigonal with central ridge in each face, 2–5 cm; style narrow basally, widening distally, 3.5–4 × 0.6–1 cm, crests overlapping basally, subquadrate, 1–1.5 cm, margins incised; stigmas obscurely to prominently 2-lobed, margins crenate; pedicels stout, 3–9 cm, unequal at anthesis, becoming ± equal at maturity. |
Capsules | 6-ribbed, oblong-ovoid, tapering to either end, almost round in cross section, 8–9 cm. |
Seeds | dark brown, globular, wrinkled. |
2n | = 86, 88. |
Iris longipetala |
|
Phenology | Flowering Mar–Apr. |
Habitat | Wet, heavy soil along coast |
Distribution |
CA
|
Discussion | Iris longipetala hybridizes with I. missouriensis and is found from Mendocino County south to Monterey. (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 389. |
Parent taxa | Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Longipetalae |
Sibling taxa | |
Name authority | Herbert: in W. J. Hooker and G. A. W. Arnott, Bot. Beechey Voy., 395. (1840) |
Web links |