''Iris attica'', the Greek iris, is a plant species in the genus ''
Iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (given name), a feminine given name, and a list of peopl ...
'', it is also in the subgenus ''
Iris
Iris most often refers to:
*Iris (anatomy), part of the eye
* Iris (color), an ambiguous color term
*Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess
* ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants
* Iris (given name), a feminine given name, and a list of peopl ...
''. It is a
rhizomatous
In botany and dendrology, a rhizome ( ) is a modified subterranean plant stem that sends out roots and shoots from its nodes. Rhizomes are also called creeping rootstalks or just rootstalks. Rhizomes develop from axillary buds and grow hori ...
perennial
In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...
, from the mountains of the
Balkans
The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...
in Europe, within the countries of
Greece
Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...
, former
Yugoslavia
, common_name = Yugoslavia
, life_span = 1918–19921941–1945: World War II in Yugoslavia#Axis invasion and dismemberment of Yugoslavia, Axis occupation
, p1 = Kingdom of SerbiaSerbia
, flag_p ...
,
Turkey
Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...
and
North Macedonia
North Macedonia, officially the Republic of North Macedonia, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe. It shares land borders with Greece to the south, Albania to the west, Bulgaria to the east, Kosovo to the northwest and Serbia to the n ...
. It has sage green or grey-green leaves, that are sickle-shaped, a stout short stem and 2 variable flowers, in shades from yellow to purple. They have a white or blue beard. It is often called ''Iris pumila subsp attica'', but is classified in most sources, as a separate species, although it is closely related to ''
Iris pumila'', as a possible parent plant. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in
temperate
In geography, the temperate climates of Earth occur in the middle latitudes (approximately 23.5° to 66.5° N/S of the Equator), which span between the tropics and the polar regions of Earth. These zones generally have wider temperature ran ...
regions.
Description
It is similar in form to ''
Iris suaveolens'', that also appears with yellow or purple forms.
[Basak Gardner and Chris Gardner ]
They are also have flowers in similar colours/shades to ''Iris pumila'',
as well as the form of the iris,
[Kelly Norris ] but smaller.
[
It has small rhizomes,][ that spread out, to form clumps of plants.]
It has glaucous, sage-green, or green grey leaves.[ They can grow up to between long,][ and 4-7mm wide.][ They are lanceolate with a sharp curvature,][ or sickle shaped.][
It has a stout stem, that can grow up to between tall.] Although, very occasionally they can reach 15 cm tall.
The stems hold 2 terminal (top of stem) flowers, blooming in spring, or early summer,[ between March, April,][ May,][ or late as June.][ The slender,] flowers are in diameter,[ come in various shades,] from yellow to purple.[ Including whitish,][ pale yellow,][ greenish yellow,] lemon yellow,[ mustard yellow,][ to blue,][ blue-purple,][ violet-blue,][ and mauve shades.][
Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large ]sepals
A sepal () is a part of the flower of angiosperms (flowering plants). Usually green, sepals typically function as protection for the flower in bud, and often as support for the petals when in bloom., p. 106
Etymology
The term ''sepalum'' ...
(outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals (or tepals
A tepal is one of the outer parts of a flower (collectively the perianth). The term is used when these parts cannot easily be classified as either sepals or petals. This may be because the parts of the perianth are undifferentiated (i.e. of ve ...
), known as the 'standards'.[ In the centre of the falls, is a beard.][ Which can vary in colour, from white through to blue,][ or bright blue.][
Some flowers are bi-coloured.][ The yellow forms have a brown signal patch on the falls.][ The purple or violet forms have contrasting spots in violet or plum.][ The standards are upright.][
After the iris has flowered, it produces a seed capsule that has not been described yet.
]
Biochemistry
In 1956, Mitra conducted karyological studies on the samples of specimens that they collected, and stated that ''Iris pumila'' (2n = 32) was an amphidiploid
Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than two paired sets of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two complete sets of chromosomes, one fro ...
of ''Iris attica'' Boiss. & Heldr. (2n = 16) and ''Iris pseudopumila
''Iris pseudopumila'' is a perennial plant species with violet, purple, or yellow flowers, sometimes in combination.The beards are white, yellow, or bluish white.Donald Wyman
It is native to southeastern Italy
Italy, officially the Itali ...
'' Tineo. (2n = 16).
In 1979, a karyotype analysis study was carried out on ''Iris attica'', ''Iris mellita'' (a synonym of ''Iris suaveolens'' Boiss. & Reut.) and ''Iris reichenbachii
''Iris reichenbachii'' is a perennial bearded iris species native to Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and into northeast Greece. Flowers are dull purple, yellow, or violet, with each stem giving one or two flowers.
It is sometimes ...
''. It found that ''Iris attica'' was 2n=16, both ''Iris mellita'' and ''Iris reichenbachii'' were 2n = 24.
As most irises are diploid
Ploidy () is the number of complete sets of chromosomes in a cell, and hence the number of possible alleles for autosomal and pseudoautosomal genes. Here ''sets of chromosomes'' refers to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, ...
, having two sets of chromosomes
A chromosome is a package of DNA containing part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes, the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with nucleosome-forming packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells, the most importa ...
, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[
It has been counted several times; 2n=16 by Simonet, 2n=16 by Randolph in 1954 and 2n=16 Randolph and Mitra in 1956.][ Then in 1979 by Love.
It has a published chromosome count of 2n=16.][British Iris Society (1997) ]
Taxonomy
It has the common name of 'Greek Iris'.
The Latin specific epithet
In Taxonomy (biology), taxonomy, binomial nomenclature ("two-term naming system"), also called binary nomenclature, is a formal system of naming species of living things by giving each a name composed of two parts, both of which use Latin gramm ...
''attica'' refers to Attica
Attica (, ''Attikḗ'' (Ancient Greek) or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the entire Athens metropolitan area, which consists of the city of Athens, the capital city, capital of Greece and the core cit ...
, the former name of Athens in Greece.
It was first published and described by Edmond Boissier
Pierre Edmond Boissier (25 May 1810 Geneva – 25 September 1885 Valeyres-sous-Rances) was a Switzerland, Swiss prominent botanist, explorer and mathematician.
He was the son of Jacques Boissier (1784-1857) and Caroline Butini (1786-1836), daugh ...
and Theodor von Heldreich
Theodor Heinrich Hermann von Heldreich (3 March 1822 – 7 September 1902) was a German botanist born in Dresden. In 1851, he settled in Greece for the rest of his life. He carried out botanical experiments in the country. He published thirtee ...
in 'Diagnoses Plantarum Orientalium novarum.' (Diagn. Pl. Orient.) Vol.2 Issue 4, on page 91 in 1859.
In 1862, it was published (as ''Iris attica'') in 'Gartenflora' Vol.11 377. 1862 (with a colour illustratation), then in The Gardeners' Chronicle
''The Gardeners' Chronicle'' was a British horticulture periodical. It lasted as a title in its own right for nearly 150 years and is still extant as part of the magazine '' Horticulture Week''.
History
Founded in 1841 by the horticulturists Jose ...
Vol.674 in 1865.[
In 1890, ''Iris pumila subsp. attica'' was then published by ]K.Richt.
Karl Richter (16 May 1855 in Vienna – 28 December 1891 in Vienna) was a botanist from Austria-Hungary.
From 1874 he studied botany at the University of Vienna, where he received his doctorate in 1877. After completing his studies at the univ ...
in 'Plantae Europeae' (Pl. Eur.) Vol.1 on page 253. This re-classified the species as a subspecies of ''Iris pumila'', as ''Iris pumila subsp. attica''.
But some botanists and sources disagreed with this re-classification, and still refer to the species as ''Iris attica''.
It was verified as ''Iris attica'' by United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an executive department of the United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commercial farming and livestock food production, promotes agricultural trade and producti ...
and the Agricultural Research Service
The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ARS is one of four agencies in USDA's Research, Education and Economics mission area. ARS is charged with ext ...
on 27 December 2002, then updated on 1 December 2004.[
''Iris attica'' is an accepted name by the RHS and listed in the RHS Plant Finder book.][
It is listed as ''Iris pumila ssp. attica'' in the ]Encyclopedia of Life
The Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) is a free, online encyclopedia intended to document all of the 1.9 million living species known to science. It aggregates content to form "pages" for every known species. Content is compiled from existing trusted ...
.
Distribution and habitat
It is native
Native may refer to:
People
* '' Jus sanguinis'', nationality by blood
* '' Jus soli'', nationality by location of birth
* Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory
** Nat ...
to south eastern Europe.[
]
Range
It is found in the Balkans,[ within the countries of Greece,][ (including Mount Egaleo,][ ]Delphi
Delphi (; ), in legend previously called Pytho (Πυθώ), was an ancient sacred precinct and the seat of Pythia, the major oracle who was consulted about important decisions throughout the ancient Classical antiquity, classical world. The A ...
,[ ]Parnassos
Mount Parnassus (; , ''Parnassós'') is a mountain range of central Greece that is, and historically has been, especially valuable to the Greek nation and the earlier Greek city-states for many reasons. In peace, it offers scenic views of the c ...
, Peloponnese
The Peloponnese ( ), Peloponnesus ( ; , ) or Morea (; ) is a peninsula and geographic region in Southern Greece, and the southernmost region of the Balkans. It is connected to the central part of the country by the Isthmus of Corinth land bridg ...
,[ and many other regions of Greece,][) former Yugoslavia,][ Turkey,][ and North Macedonia,][ (including near ]Ohrid
Ohrid ( ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording a population of over 42,000 inhabitants as of ...
).[
In 2013, '']Iris variegata
''Iris variegata'', commonly known as the Hungarian iris, is a plant species in the genus ''Iris'', also in the subgenus ''Iris''. It is a rhizomatous perennial from eastern Europe. It has dark green, ribbed leaves. The branched flowering stems c ...
'' L. and ''Iris pumila subsp. attica'' (Boiss. & Heldr.) K. Richt was found in Albania
Albania ( ; or ), officially the Republic of Albania (), is a country in Southeast Europe. It is located in the Balkans, on the Adriatic Sea, Adriatic and Ionian Seas within the Mediterranean Sea, and shares land borders with Montenegro to ...
, during field trips in Prespa National Park and on Pashtriku Mountain in 2006, 2011 and then in 2012.[
]
Habitat
It grows on the well drained, sunny, rocky mountainsides.[ On stony slopes, stony heaths and on rocky ground.][ It has been found with '' Fritillaria fleischeriana'' found growing on areas of rocky ]limestone
Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...
amongst scattered juniper
Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' ( ) of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere as far south ...
trees.[
They can be found at an altitude of above sea level.][
]
Conservation
It status in the wild is currently unknown, but thought to be very common.[
]
Cultivation
It is hardy
Hardy may refer to:
People
* Hardy (surname)
* Hardy (given name)
* Hardy (singer), American singer-songwriter Places Antarctica
* Mount Hardy, Enderby Land
* Hardy Cove, Greenwich Island
* Hardy Rocks, Biscoe Islands
Australia
* Hardy, ...
to between USDA
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an United States federal executive departments, executive department of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government that aims to meet the needs of commerc ...
Zone 3 and Zone 8,[ or Zone 10.][
It is hardy to Zone H2 in Europe (meaning .).][
It is thought to be not very hardy in the UK (due to the dampness in winter), so best grown an alpine house or bulb frame,][ or deep pot.][ It is prone to viral diseases, if left in water or overwatered.][
It prefers to be grown in well-drained soils,][ (including gritty loam,][) with plenty of ]aeration
Aeration (also called aerification or aeriation) is the process by which air is circulated through, mixed with or dissolved in a liquid or other substances that act as a fluid (such as soil). Aeration processes create additional surface area in t ...
.[ Similar to a ]scree
Scree is a collection of broken rock fragments at the base of a cliff or other steep rocky mass that has accumulated through periodic rockfall. Landforms associated with these materials are often called talus deposits.
The term ''scree'' is ap ...
.[
It can tolerate a ph level of between 6.1 and 6.5 (mildly acidic) – 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline).][
It prefers a position in full sun,][ to partial shade.][
It has average water needs, during the growing months, but needs a period of summer dormancy (a period of dryness after the blooms have faded).][
It can be grown in a ]rock garden
A rock garden, also known as a rockery and formerly as a rockwork, is a garden, or more often a part of a garden, with a landscaping framework of rocks, stones, and gravel, with planting appropriate to this setting. Usually these are small ...
,[ in crevices or between small stones, or in large troughs.][
]
Propagation
It can be propagated by division of the rhizomes or by seed growing. Collecting the seeds from the ripe and dry capsules (after the plant has bloom), they can be grown straight away, or stored.[
]
Hybrids and cultivars
In 1995, it was reported by (Whitehouse and Warburton), that ''Iris pumila'' (an allotetraploid
Polyploidy is a condition in which the cells of an organism have more than two paired sets of ( homologous) chromosomes. Most species whose cells have nuclei (eukaryotes) are diploid, meaning they have two complete sets of chromosomes, one fro ...
) is a cross between ''Iris attica'' and ''Iris pseudopumila'' (another diploid iris).[Dan H. Meckenstock ]
Several cultivars have been created from ''Iris attica'' including; 'Attica Parnes', 'Dr. Crenshaw', 'Herrick' and 'Sounion'.[
''Iris attica'' crosses (with other irises) include; 'Cap Sounion', 'Chancelot', 'Goldenes Fuellhorn', 'Goldhaube', 'Mama Mia' and 'Nibelungehort'.'][
]
Toxicity
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), can cause stomach pains and vomiting if mistakenly ingested. Handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.[
]
Culture
In the ''Homeric Hymn to Demeter
The ''Homeric Hymns'' () are a collection of thirty-three ancient Greek hymns and one epigram. The hymns praise deities of the Greek pantheon and retell mythological stories, often involving a deity's birth, their acceptance among the gods ...
'', the goddess Persephone
In ancient Greek mythology and Ancient Greek religion, religion, Persephone ( ; , classical pronunciation: ), also called Kore ( ; ) or Cora, is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter. She became the queen of the Greek underworld, underworld afte ...
and her companion nymph
A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...
s (the Oceanid
In Greek mythology, the Oceanids or Oceanides ( ; , ) are the nymphs who were the three thousand (a number interpreted as meaning "innumerable") daughters of the Titans Oceanus and Tethys.
Description and function
The Oceanids' father Oceanu ...
s along with Artemis
In ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, Artemis (; ) is the goddess of the hunting, hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, transitions, nature, vegetation, childbirth, Kourotrophos, care of children, and chastity. In later tim ...
and Athena
Athena or Athene, often given the epithet Pallas, is an ancient Greek religion, ancient Greek goddess associated with wisdom, warfare, and handicraft who was later syncretism, syncretized with the Roman goddess Minerva. Athena was regarde ...
) were gathering flowers such as rose, crocus, violet, iris (also called 'agallis' or ἀγαλλίς (in Greek script
The Greek alphabet has been used to write the Greek language since the late 9th or early 8th century BC. It was derived from the earlier Phoenician alphabet, and is the earliest known alphabetic script to systematically write vowels as w ...
), lily, larkspur,[ and hyacinth.][R. P. Winnington-Ingram ] Flowers in a springtime meadow before she was abducted by the god Hades
Hades (; , , later ), in the ancient Greek religion and Greek mythology, mythology, is the god of the dead and the king of the Greek underworld, underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea ...
.[
It has been suggested that 'agallis' mentioned, was a dwarf iris, (in form to leaf and root shape described,) and identified as ''Iris attica''.][Umberto Quattrocchi ]
References
Sources
* Kohlein, Fritz. 1987. Iris
* Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 23–24.
* Randolph, L. F. & J. Mitra. 1959. Karyotypes of Iris pumila and related species. Am. J. Bot. 46:93–102.
* Rechinger, K. H. 1943, Flora Aegaea. (Denkschr. Akad. Wiss. Wien, math.-naturw.) 741
* Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea. I. pumila subsp. attica (Boiss. & Heldr.) Hayek
External links
*
YouTube video of the Iris
Clear images of the white form of Iris attica
{{Taxonbar, from=Q21277510
attica
Attica (, ''Attikḗ'' (Ancient Greek) or , or ), or the Attic Peninsula, is a historical region that encompasses the entire Athens metropolitan area, which consists of the city of Athens, the capital city, capital of Greece and the core cit ...
Flora of Greece
Flora of European Turkey
Flora of Yugoslavia
Garden plants of Europe
Plants described in 1859
Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier
Taxa named by Theodor von Heldreich