Iris verna |
Iris macrosiphon |
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dwarf violet iris |
bowltube iris, ground iris |
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Rhizomes | heterogeneous, whitish, cordlike portions 0.1–1.5 dm × 2–4 mm, enlarging to 6–8 mm diam., densely covered with brown, scalelike leaves, roots absent, or torulose with roots borne along entire rhizome. |
many-branched, forming tufts, with fibrous remains of old leaves at nodes, slender, 0.6–0.8 cm diam.; roots few, fibrous. |
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Stems | simple, 5–15 cm. |
simple, solid, almost absent or to 2.5 dm. |
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Leaves | basal with blade light green, ensiform, 0.3–1.5 dm × 0.3–1.3 cm, enlarging to 3.5 dm, glaucous; cauline 5–9, sheathing, imbricate, blade light green, obovate, 1.3–5 cm, increasing in length, proximal shortest, membranous, apex acute. |
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. |
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Inflorescence units | 1–2-flowered; spathes divergent, exposing floral tube, green, lanceolate, 2–2.5 cm, apex acuminate. |
(1–)2-flowered; spathes nearly opposite, connivent, linear-lanceolate, 4–9.5 cm × 4–6 mm, subequal or outer longer. |
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Flowers | floral tube pale violet, filiform, 2.5–6.5 cm, expanding somewhat distally to 2.5–4 cm diam.; sepals widely spreading, blue to violet with yellow or orange longitudinal papillose band at base of blade, obovate, 2–6 × 0.8–2 cm, base gradually attenuate into claw, not crested; petals erect, arching inward at tip, spatulate, 2–7 × 1–2 cm, base abruptly attenuate into claw; ovary linear, to 1.3 cm; styles pale violet, 2.5–4 cm, crests linear-acute, narrow, 0.7 cm; stigmas rounded, margins entire; pedicel 1–3 cm, increasing to 25 cm as capsule matures. |
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. |
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Capsules | 3-angled with single ridge at each angle, almost hidden in bases of spathes, 1–3.2 × 0.8–1.5 cm, tapering into beak consisting of dried remnant of floral tube. |
oblong to ovoid, somewhat 3-angled in cross section, 2.5–3 cm. |
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Seeds | dark brown, ribbed, 2.8–3.2 mm, lustrous, with small, fleshy aril basally. |
dark brown, angular, finely wrinkled. |
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2n | = 40. |
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Iris verna |
Iris macrosiphon |
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Phenology | Flowering Apr–Jun. | |||||
Habitat | Sunny hillsides, meadows, roadsides | |||||
Distribution |
se United States
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CA
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Discussion | Varieties 2 (2 in the flora). (Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.) |
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.) |
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Key |
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Source | FNA vol. 26, p. 379. | FNA vol. 26, p. 384. | ||||
Parent taxa | Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Vernae | Iridaceae > Iris > subg. Limniris > sect. Limniris > ser. Californicae | ||||
Sibling taxa | ||||||
Subordinate taxa | ||||||
Synonyms | Neubeckia verna | I. elata | ||||
Name authority | Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 39. (1753) | Torrey: Pacif. Railr. Rep. 4(5): 144. (1857) | ||||
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