Orjen Iris
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Orjen Iris ( Iris orjenii ) |
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| Iris orjenii | ||||||||||||
| Bräuchler & Cikovac |
The Orjen Iris or Orjen Iris ( Iris orjenii ) is a species of bearded iris in the Iris family (Iridaceae). It is an endemic species of the high altitudes of the sub-Adriatic Orjen Mountains in Montenegro and Herzegovina . Only three populations of this rare species have been described to date. It is the only completely white-flowered wild species among the European bearded irises. The species is closely related to the pale iris . In nature, it is associated with the Reichenbach iris . The Orjen Iris is a focus species in area and species protection.
description
Vegetative characteristics
It is a perennial herbaceous plant with a rhizome, numerous short branches on which aerial roots and leaves form. Rhizome creeping horizontally over 20 cm long, with few roots.
The upright stem is round. It reaches heights of growth between (20–) 35 to 46 cm. The leaves are riding in two rows and are densely packed at the base, with a leaf surrounding the stalk above and, further up, about halfway along the stem, another smaller leaf surrounding the stem. Leaves sword-shaped to sickle-shaped (the outermost). Basal leaves 2–5 cm × 0.7–1.2 cm, the upper basal leaves 8–24 (–45) cm × 1.5–2.7 (–4.5) cm, herbaceous, slightly grayish; Stem leaves sometimes with membranous margins of variable width.
Generative characteristics
Inflorescence with 2–4 (-5) pleasantly violet-like scented single flowers, short stalked, only indistinctly branched (three-flowered or multi-flowered plants have one or two flowers on a lateral branch); the bracts (spathe) are inconspicuously keeled, green in the bud stage, they dry out completely shortly before or during flowering and then have a white or slightly brownish color with sometimes hints of purple. The dry-skinned spathe are an important characteristic of all Mediterranean species from the Pallida group, which differ from other Eurasian groups of the bearded millet.
The perigone is creamy white to pale yellow with sometimes a few irregular, small pale purple to pale bluish veins (which is often a sign of a virus infection in cultivated irises), which later change to a darker yellow. The beard on the outer perigone is yellow. The individual segments of the perigon are fused at their base in a 1.9 cm long tube; The hanging leaves are spatula to egg-shaped, approx. 7.5 cm long, the width grows from 0.6 cm at the base to 3.5 cm below the tip, they are bearded with intense yellow along the middle vein on both sides of the bearded ridge, dark purple veins extend up to 2.5 cm above the base with no distinct veins beyond it; the standards are oval to egg-shaped, approx. 7.5 × 3.7–3.8 cm with a strongly wavy edge, the stem of the standard is 0.7 cm long. The stamens with the stamens are white, 17-18 mm long, the width is 1.5 mm at the base and 1 mm below the theca ; the anthers are creamy white, 11-12 mm long and 2 mm wide (0.9 mm for each theca). The approximately cylindrical ovaries are approx. 2.1 cm long and have a diameter of 0.6 cm; the branches of the style are approximately white and curved outwards, 4.7-4.8 × 1.7-1.8 cm, they are keeled adaxially and divided distally by two columns in lobes that begin about 1 cm from the tip; the lobes are curved upwards, the median edges are whole, the outer ones serrated. The fruit is a more or less triangular, dry split capsule . The seeds are drop-shaped (pyriform), not noticeably flattened, 6–7 mm long and approx. 4 mm wide.
Chromosome number: 2n = 24
etymology
The species was named after its area of origin in the sub-Adriatic Orjen Mountains.
Occurrence
Known from three disjoint populations, the plant is a stenoendemic species in its habitat. The sites are limited to the Prasa and Pazua ridge around the peaks of Velje leto and Vučji zub between 1550 and 1750 m altitude. Another smaller population has meanwhile been discovered on the Bijela gora on the northern slope of the Reovačka greda .
The Orjen Iris was first collected in 2002 and described in 2007 by Christian Bräuchler and Pavle Cikovac.
Kinship and Evolution
The bearded iris and the strong rhizome in the genus Iris undoubtedly belong to the subgenus Iris (bearded iris) in the iris section ( pogoniris ).
It is closely related to the pale bearded iris ( Iris pallida ) as well as to Irisreichenbachii which occur in the same habitat. She shares the number of chromosomes with both of them (2n = 24). The Orjen iris appears in the characteristics of its size, the flower color and the consistency of its bracts (spathe) as a link between the two species. The shape of the tepals differs from that of the pale bearded iris but is similar to that of Irisreichenbachii . The bracts dry out before or during the flowering period and become white or slightly brownish, a characteristic of the Pallida series, while the spathes of Irisreichenbachii are clearly keeled and remain green until the end of the flowering period. The shape of the teardrop-shaped seeds is similar to that of Iris illyrica Vis. and Iris cengialti A. Kern differ from the flattened seeds of Iris pseudopallida Trinajsic. The seeds of Irisreichenbachii are similar to those of the Orjen Iris. The shape and waviness of the standards are similar to those of Irisreichenbachii , but no white-flowered forms are known of this in nature. In contrast, with Iris pseudopallida, white-flowered single plants were occasionally observed in the vicinity of Dubrovnik in Croatia as well as Kotor in Montenegro and Mostar in Herzegovina.
A hybrid origin of the Orjen iris is suspected based on these similarities. Especially since it occurs in the high altitude zone where the distribution limits of the alleged parent species meet. However, up to now no hybrids between Iris pseudopallida and Irisreichenbachii have been observed, nor are any culture hybrids between Iris pseudopallida and Iris reichbachii known.
The populations of Iris orjenii are not spontaneous hybrids due to the special ecological niche of the species in tall herbaceous areas and on deeper soils, but presumably have evolved from the parent species through hybridization during climatic processes of the post-ice age.
ecology
As an Oromediterranean plant, the Orjen Iris is well adapted to the dry summer conditions of the karst mountains of the southern Montenegrin Adriatic coast . It grows on sunny slopes in soil that is not too poor, which distinguishes it from the irises that are sympathetic in the area, the Iris reichbachii on old Mediterranean wind corners, and the pale iris, which is adapted to rocky soils of sub-Mediterranean habitats and Šibljak formations.
It grows above the tree line or in light snakeskin pine forests in the oromediterranen Seslerion robustae altitude level and grows within lawn and Hochstaudenfluren. It is local with Heracleum sphondyllum , Sesleria robusta , Asphodelus albus and Cattani lily or the yellow betonia, yellow gentian and Peucedanum longifolium , Senecio thapsoides subsp. Visianianus and Juniperus nana occurring.
Area and species protection
As an endemic species with only three known local occurrences and endangered by potential plant collectors, the Orjen Iris is classified as endangered according to the IUCN . With the designation of the Orjen nature park, two populations have been within the boundaries of a protected area since 2017. A population that lies outside of this protection zone indicates possible as yet undiscovered locations. BirdLife International has been funding a project in its natural range since February 2019 for the inventory, sampling and monitoring of the protected orjen iris . The project is carried out by the non-governmental nature conservation authority EnvPro from Podgorica in international cooperation with botanists and geoecologists in Croatia, Montenegro and Germany.
cultivation
Due to the late discovery, the Orjen iris was not brought into culture by horticulture. However, it can be found in a few botanical gardens (Alpinum Botanical Garden Munich , Botanical Garden Jevremovac , Botanical Garden Bonn , Botanical Garden Zagreb, Botanical Garden Pruhunice). It would be suitable for rock gardens but also as a medium-sized perennial in borders.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thomas Meyer: data sheet with identification key and photos at Mediterranean flora orjenii
- ^ Birdlife International Protecting rare plant species on Orjen Mountain
- ↑ Vijesti, March 17, 2019 Nove biljne vrste niču na Orjenu
- ↑ D. Röpert (Ed.): Digital specimen images at the Herbarium Berolinense. Published on the Internet http://ww2.bgbm.org/herbarium/ (Barcode: B 10 0176981 / ImageId: 264558), 2000- (continuously updated) [accessed 01-Apr-08].
- ↑ Christian Bräuchler & Pavle Cikovac: Iris orjenii (Iridaceae), a new species from the littoral Dinaric Alps. P. 223
- ↑ Pavle Cikovac 2003: Sociology and site-dependent distribution of fir-rich forests in the Orjen Mountains (Montenegro) . Diploma thesis LMU, Munich 2003 [1]
- ↑ Christian Bräuchler & Pavle Cikovac 2007: Iris orjenii ( Iridaceae ) - a new species from the littoral Dinaric Alps. Wildenowia 37, 221-228. doi: 10.3372 / wi.37.37112 here p. 221
- ↑ Christian Bräuchler & Pavle Cikovac: Iris orjenii (Iridaceae), a new species from the littoral Dinaric Alps. P. 226
- ↑ Vijesti, March 17, 2019 Nove biljne vrste niču na Orjenu
Web links
- Original diagnosis with species description and ecology by Iris orjenii Bräuchler & Cikovac from Willdenowia 37: 221-228. (PDF file; 473 kB)
- Photo of the Orjen Iris and pictures of the habitat in the electronic supplement to: C. Bräuchler, P. Cikovac: Iris orjenii (Iridaceae) - a new species from the littoral Dinaric Alps. In: Willdenowia. 37, 2007.
- Herbarium ISO type of Iris orjenii in the Botanical Garden and Botanical Museum Berlin.
- Thomas Meyer: Data sheet with identification key and photos for Mediterranean flora