Cretan iris

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Cretan iris
Iris unguicularis 170208.jpg

Cretan iris ( Iris unguicularis )

Systematics
Order : Asparagales (Asparagales)
Family : Iris family (Iridaceae)
Subfamily : Iridoideae
Tribe : Irideae
Genre : Irises ( Iris )
Type : Cretan iris
Scientific name
Iris unguicularis
Poir.

The iris unguicularis ( Iris unguicularis ) is a plant from the genus of the iris ( Iris ) in the family of the Iridaceae (Iridaceae).

features

The Cretan iris is a bare perennial . It has a slender rhizome . The stem is missing or very short. The leaves are sword-shaped, linear and measure 10 to 50 centimeters × 1 to 5 millimeters. Dead leaves are preserved.

The flowers are solitary and fragrant. The corolla tube has a length of 6 to 28 centimeters, which simulates a flower stalk. It is surrounded by a green, 6 to 25 centimeter long bract. The three bent-back outer petals are purple on the seat, otherwise whitish in color and veined purple. They are 4.5 to 8 inches long, 1 to 2.5 inches wide, and bare. The three upright inner petals have a length of 6 to 8 centimeters, a width of 8 to 15 millimeters and are purple in color. The three flat style branches have pointed lobes, are 2.5 to 3 centimeters long, yellow-glandular near the edge and lie above the stamens.

Flowering time is from February to April, sometimes as early as December.

The number of chromosomes is 2n = 28, 40 or 50.

Occurrence

The Cretan iris occurs in the eastern Mediterranean area and in the western Mediterranean area in North Africa. It grows in sparse forests, garrigues and on rocky slopes.

Systematics

One can distinguish between several subspecies and one variety:

  • Iris unguicularis subsp. angustifolia (Boiss. & Heldr.) Greuter : It occurs in Greece and in the Aegean.
  • Iris unguicularis subsp. carica (Wern.Schulze) APDavis & Jury : It occurs from the islands of the south-east Aegean to south-west Turkey.
  • Iris unguicularis subsp. cretensis (Janka) APDavis & Jury (Syn .: Iris cretensis Janka ): It occurs from the islands of the Aegean to Crete.
  • Iris unguicularis var. Syriaca (Wern.Schulze) APDavis & Jury : It occurs from southern Turkey to Lebanon.
  • Iris unguicularis subsp. unguicularis : It occurs in northwestern Africa.

literature

  • Ehrentraud Bayer, Karl-Peter Buttler , Xaver Finkenzeller, Jürke Grau: Plants of the Mediterranean (The Colored Nature Guide). Mosaic, Munich 1986.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Tropicos. [1]
  2. a b c d e f Rafaël Govaerts (Ed.): Iris unguicularis. In: World Checklist of Selected Plant Families (WCSP) - The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew . Retrieved July 25, 2018.

Web links

Commons : Cretan Iris  - Collection of images, videos and audio files