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''Iris cristata'' (also known as dwarf crested iris and crested iris) is a 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 ...
'', and is part of the subgenus of '' Limniris''. 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 plant In horticulture, the term perennial (''wikt:per-#Prefix, per-'' + ''wikt:-ennial#Suffix, -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annual plant, annuals and biennial plant, biennials. It has thus been d ...
,
endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...
to the eastern United States. It has pale lavender flowers with a white patch and orange or yellow crest. It is a close relative to ''
Iris lacustris ''Iris lacustris'', the dwarf lake iris, is a plant species in the genus '' Iris'', subgenus '' Limniris'' and in the section ''Lophiris'' (crested irises). It is a rhizomatous, beardless perennial plant, native to the Great Lakes region of eas ...
'' (Dwarf lake iris), the only other crested iris native to North America. 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 has slender, greenishBritish Iris Society (1997) or whitish yellow rhizomes. They are shallow rooted. They spread by sending out long
stolon In biology, a stolon ( from Latin ''wikt:stolo, stolō'', genitive ''stolōnis'' – "branch"), also known as a runner, is a horizontal connection between parts of an organism. It may be part of the organism, or of its skeleton. Typically, animal ...
s from multiple branches.Edwin B. Smith They can have up to 2–8 cord-like branches. The branches can be long and 1–2mm wide. Under the rhizomes are fleshy-like roots. The branches are brown. The creeping habit can create large masses of plants over time.Richard Lynch Nick Romanowski Holly Kerr Forsyth (Editor) It has 6–8 basal leaves, which are divided onto 2–3 proximal (close to centre) leaves and 4–5 distal (away from centre) leaves. The proximal leaves are falcate (sickle-shaped), light brown with a darker brown central mid-rib, and the distal leaves are ensiform (sword-like),John Darby (1841) green or yellowish green, with a few visible veins. They can grow up to between long and 1–2.5 cm wide. They elongate after flowering, growing up to long. The elongated leaves hide any seed pods produced later. It has short stems, (almost stemless), growing up to between tall. The
pedicel Pedicle or pedicel may refer to: Human anatomy *Pedicle of vertebral arch, the segment between the transverse process and the vertebral body, and is often used as a radiographic marker and entry point in vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty procedures ...
or stem, is the same length to the ovary. It has an overall height with stem and flower reaching tall.John Greenlee It has 2–3 cauline (on the stem),
spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves in size, color, shape or texture. They also look ...
s (leaves of the flower bud), which are green, falcate (sickle-shaped) slightly inflated, unequal (outer leaves are shorter than the inner leaves) and long. The spathes bear 1 or 2 flowers, in Spring, or early Summer,James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) between April and May.John Kirkegaard They only flower for a short time. The fragrant flowers are in diameter, and come in shades of blue, from lavender, to lilac, to pale blue, and purple. There are occasionally white forms, and very rarely pink forms. 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'. The spreading falls are long and 1.5–2.5 cm wide. They have a central white signal patch, which is surrounded by a purple (or dark blue,) ring, with 3 parallel orange or yellow crests (or ridges). The fall tapers towards the claw (close to the stem). The standards are erect, oblanceolate and long and 1–2 cm wide (narrower and shorter than the falls). It has a filiform (thread-like), perianth tube that is long. This large flower tube lifts the flower above ground level. It has a triangular, 0.6–1 cm long ovary, an oblong stigma (half the size of the falls,) and 1.5 cm long, triangular crested, style branch. After the iris has flowered, it produces an ovoid seed capsule. The capsule is 1–2 cm long, with ridged angles and triangular in cross-section. Inside the capsule, are ellipsoid, yellowish-brown seeds that are 3.2–3.5 mm across and have a white appendage that spirally wraps around the seed.


Biochemistry

In 2000, a study was carried out on the genetic diversity of ''Iris cristata'' and ''Iris lacustris''. It was found that ''Iris cristata'', is a widespread species of unglaciated regions of eastern North America, it would have a wide genetic diversity similar to other known widespread plant species, compared to the threatened ''Iris lacustris'', which only occupies glaciated habitats on Great Lakes shorelines, (therefore smaller range) would display little genetic variation. In 2013, a study was carried out on chromosomal characters of various iris species. 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 twice, 2n=24 (Longley, 1928) and 32 (Simonet, 1934). It is normally published as 2n=32.


Taxonomy

It is pronounced as (Iris) EYE-ris (cristata) kris-TAH-tah. It has common names of ''dwarf crested iris'', or ''crested iris'', and ''lady's calamus''. It is known as ''krypiris'' in
Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
. 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 ...
''cristata'' is derived from 'crista', meaning crested or with tassel-like tips. This refers to the golden yellow crest on the sepal of the iris. In the 1750s, the American
Quaker Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestant Christian set of denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally, others referred to them as Quakers ...
botanist
John Bartram John Bartram (June 3, 1699 – September 22, 1777) was an American botanist, horticulturist, and explorer, based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for most of his career. Swedish botanist and taxonomist Carl Linnaeus said he was the "greatest natu ...
(1699–1777) introduced ''Iris crisatata'' to England via his correspondence friend, Peter Collinson. He had sent several specimen plants across the Atlantic to him. It has been in European culture in since 1766. It was first published and described by
William Aiton William Aiton (17312 February 1793) was a Scotland, Scottish botanist. Aiton was born near Hamilton, Scotland, Hamilton. Having been regularly trained to the profession of a gardener, he travelled to London in 1754, and became assistant to Phi ...
in ''
Hortus Kewensis (Latin for 'Kew Garden'; abbr. ) is a series of works cataloguing the plant species in cultivation at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Background Kew became a favored location for English courtiers ...
'' (''Hort. Kew.'') Volume 1, page 70 in 1789. It was later published in ''Botanical Magazine'' (t 412) in 1798, then in 'Addisonia' Volume 9, Issue 4 on page 63 in December 1924 with a coloured illustration, as well as in the ''Journal of the RHS'' Volume 88 in 1963. It was verified 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 11 April 2000, then updated on 1 December 2004. ''Iris cristata'' is an accepted name by the RHS.


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 temperate regions of United States of America.


Range

It is found in northeastern U.S., within the states of
Indiana Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
,
Ohio Ohio ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Erie to the north, Pennsylvania to the east, West Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Indiana to the ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania, officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a U.S. state, state spanning the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern United States, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes region, Great Lakes regions o ...
, and
West Virginia West Virginia is a mountainous U.S. state, state in the Southern United States, Southern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States.The United States Census Bureau, Census Bureau and the Association of American ...
. It is also found in north-central U.S., within the states of
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. It borders on Lake Michigan to its northeast, the Mississippi River to its west, and the Wabash River, Wabash and Ohio River, Ohio rivers to its ...
,
Iowa Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
,
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, and
Oklahoma Oklahoma ( ; Choctaw language, Choctaw: , ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Texas to the south and west, Kansas to the north, Missouri to the northea ...
. In southeastern U.S., it is found within the states of
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
,
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
,
District of Columbia Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and Federal district of the United States, federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from ...
, and
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...
. It is found within the
Ouachita Mountains The Ouachita Mountains (), simply referred to as the Ouachitas, are a mountain range in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma. They are formed by a thick succession of highly deformed Paleozoic strata constituting the Ouachita Fold and Thru ...
,
Allegheny Mountains The Allegheny Mountain Range ( ) — also spelled Alleghany or Allegany, less formally the Alleghenies — is part of the vast Appalachian Mountain Range of the Eastern United States and Canada. Historically it represented a significant barr ...
, Appalachian and
Ozark Mountains The Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Highlands or Ozark Plateau, is a physiographic region in the U.S. states of Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma, as well as a small area in the southeastern corner of Kansas. The Ozarks cover ...
. The range is south of where the
Wisconsinan The Wisconsin glaciation, also called the Wisconsin glacial episode, was the most recent glacial period of the North American ice sheet complex, peaking more than 20,000 years ago. This advance included the Cordilleran Ice Sheet, which nucleate ...
glaciation A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate be ...
spread about 11,000 years ago.


Habitat

It grows in
calcareous Calcareous () is an adjective meaning "mostly or partly composed of calcium carbonate", in other words, containing lime (mineral), lime or being chalky. The term is used in a wide variety of Science, scientific disciplines. In zoology ''Calcare ...
soils, in
oak An oak is a hardwood tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' of the beech family. They have spirally arranged leaves, often with lobed edges, and a nut called an acorn, borne within a cup. The genus is widely distributed in the Northern Hemisp ...
woodlands (or forests), on rocky hillsides, in
ravine A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. Ravines are typically classified as larger in scale than gullies, although smaller than valleys. Ravines may also be called a cleuch, dell, ...
s, on mountain ledges (and bluffs), and along streams.


Conservation

''Iris cristata'' is listed as 'endangered' in Maryland and Pennsylvania.


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 9,Karan Davis Cutler and is hardy to European Zone H2, meaning it is hardy down to −20 °C. It prefers to grow in well-drained soils that are neutral or slightly acidic (pH level of 6.1 to 6.5). It also prefers medium to high fertile soils containing
humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...
, although it will tolerate loamy soils. It can tolerate shade or full sun, but prefers cool, semi-shaded positions. It has average to above average water needs during the growing season. It becomes dormant in winter. It can be grown in a mixed flower border, or rock garden. It also can be
naturalized Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-national of a country acquires the nationality of that country after birth. The definition of naturalization by the International Organization for Migration of the ...
, within a woodland garden, creating ground-cover. It can also be grown on peat banks, with other acidic loving plants, including
camellias ''Camellia'' (pronounced or ) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Theaceae. They are found in tropical and subtropical areas in eastern and southern Asia, from the Himalayas east to Japan and Indonesia. There are more than 220 descri ...
and
azaleas Azaleas ( ) are flowering shrubs in the genus ''Rhododendron'', particularly the former sections '' Tsutsusi'' (evergreen) and '' Pentanthera'' (deciduous). Azaleas bloom in the spring (April and May in the temperate Northern Hemisphere, and Oc ...
. It is normally recommended to add peat (or leaf-mould) and sharp sand (or grit) when planting new plants. The roots are planted (during spring, summer or autumn) so that the top of the rhizome is about 3–5 cm below the soil line. Once planted, they can be surrounded with leaf mulch to help with moisture retention. They can suffer from damage by snails and slugs. They also can suffer damage from deer, but the plants can survive the nibbling, and flowers can also be eaten. Other minor threats include iris borer, verbena bud moth, whiteflies, iris weevil, thrips, aphids, nematodes, bacterial leaf blight and soft rot, crown rot, rhizome rot, leaf spot, rust, viruses, and scorch. Grown in ideal conditions, the plants can live for up to 10 years. Smaller, poorer and paler forms were originally mistakenly thought to be ''Iris lacustris''. They can be found in plenty of reputable nurseries in the US, but it is rarely offered on sale in Europe.


Propagation

It can be propagated by division or by seed growing. Since the plant needs to be frequently divided every 3 to 4 years, to keep the plant healthy and vigorous, it is easier and more reliable to propagate via division. This is best done in the early fall (or autumn), when the leaves have turned yellow. The rhizome should be split into hand-sized clumps to allow for plenty of new growth to occur. The new plants should be kept moist until established, they also can be mulched (with a maximum of 4 inches deep) to help with water retention. If propagating by seed, seeds are collected from the ripe brown capsules after flowering and sown on acid or slightly acidic soil. The plant can take up to 3 years to mature from a seedling into a flowering plant.


Hybrids and cultivars

''Iris cristata'' has many different cultivars. Including; Iris cristata 'Alba' (a white flowering form), 'Abbey's Violet', 'Azure', 'Baby Blue', 'Caerulea' (deep blue blooms), 'Celestial Gem', 'Crested Fairy', 'Crested Gem', 'Crested Ivory', 'Crest Of Hope', 'Cristata Alba', 'Cristata Major', 'McDonald', 'Cumberland Gap', 'Dash It All', 'Dick Butler', ‘Echo Ruffles’ (large purple blooms), 'Eco Little Bluebird', 'Eco Orchid Giant', 'Eco Purple Pomp', 'Eco Royal Ruffles', 'Eco White Angel', 'Edgar Anderson', 'Eyed Form', 'Gold Crest', 'Little Jay', 'Major', 'Millard', 'Navy Blue Gem', 'Pearl White', 'Pink', 'Powder Blue Giant', 'Shenandoah Sky',(pale blue blooms) 'Scio County', 'Skylands', 'Stormy Sky', 'Summer Sky' (deep blue blooms), 'Summer Storm', 'Tennessee White',(a white form)'Vein Mountain', 'Whisper' and 'White Pearl'.


Toxicity

Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction, and there is also a risk of
dermatitis Dermatitis is a term used for different types of skin inflammation, typically characterized by itchiness, redness and a rash. In cases of short duration, there may be small blisters, while in long-term cases the skin may become thickened ...
.


Uses

It has been listed as a medicinal plant. It has been used by the
Cherokee The Cherokee (; , or ) people are one of the Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands of the United States. Prior to the 18th century, they were concentrated in their homelands, in towns along river valleys of what is now southwestern ...
North American Indians in herbal medicines. A decoction of the pulverized root was used as salve for ulcers. An
infusion Infusion is the process of extracting chemical compounds or flavors from plant material in a solvent such as water, oil or alcohol, by allowing the material to remain suspended in the solvent over time (a process often called steeping). An inf ...
(tea) taken for liver. Also a decoction of the root was used to treat a "yellowish urine." The root was also used as an ingredient in a cream applied to skin ulcers. The root has also been used as a
spice In the culinary arts, a spice is any seed, fruit, root, Bark (botany), bark, or other plant substance in a form primarily used for flavoring or coloring food. Spices are distinguished from herbs, which are the leaves, flowers, or stems of pl ...
. In the 19th century, hunters in Virginia used the root, as a thirst aid. It is initially sweet and then the taste of the root becomes pungently acrid. In its native region, it has been marked as a commercially available pollinator plant that attracts bees.


References


Other sources

*Aldén, B., S. Ryman & M. Hjertson. 2009. Våra kulturväxters namn – ursprung och användning. Formas, Stockholm (Handbook on Swedish cultivated and utility plants, their names and origin). *Browne, E. T. & R. Athey. 1992. Vascular plants of Kentucky: an annotated checklist. *Deam, C. C. 1940. Flora of Indiana. *Duncan, W. H. & J. T. Kartesz. 1981. Vascular flora of Georgia: an annotated checklist. *FNA Editorial Committee. 1993–. Flora of North America. ists as I. cristata Sol. ex Aiton *Gleason, H. A. & A. Cronquist. 1991. Manual of vascular plants of northeastern United States and adjacent Canada, ed. 2. *Jones, G. N. & G. D. Fuller. 1955. Vascular plants of Illinois. *Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 71. *Mohlenbrock, R. H. & D. M. Ladd. 1978. Distribution of Illinois vascular plants. *Ohio Flora Committee (E. L. Braun, T. S. Cooperrider, T. R. Fisher, J. J. Furlow). 1967–. The vascular flora of Ohio. *Radford, A. E. et al. 1964. Manual of the vascular flora of the Carolinas. *Rickett. 1967. Wild flowers of the United States 2 (Plate 22) *Rhoads, A. F. & T. A. Block. 2000. The plants of Pennsylvania. An illustrated manual. *Strausbaugh, T. D. & E. L. Core. 1978. Flora of West Virginia, ed. 2. *Wherry, E. T. et al. 1979. Atlas of the flora of Pennsylvania. *Yatskievych, G. 1999–. Steyermark's Flora of Missouri, revised edition.


External links

* www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNdi0sz-R-8 A detailed look at one year in the life of Dwarf crested iris (Iris cristata) {{Taxonbar, from=Q6070337 cristata Endemic flora of the United States Flora of the Eastern United States Flora of the Northeastern United States Flora of the Great Lakes region (North America) Flora of the Southeastern United States Flora of the Appalachian Mountains Plants described in 1789 Garden plants of North America Plants used in traditional Native American medicine