Flora of North America species comparison

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Iris macrosiphon

Iris pumila

bowltube iris, ground iris

dwarf iris
Rhizomes

many-branched, forming tufts, with fibrous remains of old leaves at nodes, slender, 0.6–0.8 cm diam.;

roots few, fibrous.

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

simple, solid, almost absent or to 2.5 dm.

absent or not more than 1 cm.
Leaves

basal longer than stem, blade light green, finely veined, narrowly linear, 3–4 dm × 0.4–0.6 cm, glaucous, margins not thickened, apex acute;

cauline 1–2, spreading, sheathing for about 1/2 length, foliaceous, blade not inflated, 0.7–1 dm.

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

(1–)2-flowered;

spathes nearly opposite, connivent, linear-lanceolate, 4–9.5 cm × 4–6 mm, subequal or outer longer.

1-flowered, sessile in spathes;

spathes 5–10 cm;

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

perianth indigo, purple, lavender, white, cream, or yellow;

floral tube linear, gradually dilating apically, 6 cm;

sepals usually with fine, dark veins basally, becoming coarser on claw, oblanceolate or obovate, 3.9–7 × 2 cm, base abruptly attenuate into claw;

petals oblanceolate, 3.5–6 × 0.5–1.6 cm, base gradually attenuate;

ovary ovoid, ca. 1 cm;

style 2–3.5 cm, crests overlapping, reflexed, semiovate, 0.8–1.8 cm, margins denticulate;

stigmas triangular, margins entire;

pedicel 1.5–2 cm.

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 to ovoid, somewhat 3-angled in cross section, 2.5–3 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, angular, finely wrinkled.

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

= 40.

= 30, 31, 32, 36.

Iris macrosiphon

Iris pumila
Phenology Flowering Apr–Jun. Flowering late Mar–mid May.
Habitat Sunny hillsides, meadows, roadsides 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 macrosiphon hybridizes with I. chrysophylla, I. douglasiana, I. fernaldii, I. hartwegii, I. innominata, I. munzii, I. purdyi, I. tenax, and I. tenuissima.

The invalid name “Iris californica” Leichtlin has sometimes been applied to a portion of this species.

(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. 384. 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. fernaldii, I. fulva, I. germanica, I. giganticaerulea, I. hartwegii, I. hexagona, I. hookeri, I. innominata, I. lacustris, I. longipetala, 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
Synonyms I. elata
Name authority Torrey: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 144. (1857) Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 38. (1753)
Web links 
Unless otherwise noted, all data comes from the online version of the Flora of North America, who have made most of their content available via a Creative Commons license (CC BY 4.0).



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