''Iris filifolia'' is a species in the genus '' Iris'', it is also in the subgenus '' Xiphium''. It is a bulbous

perennial A perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives more than two years. The term ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the years") is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. The term is also wide ...

from North Africa and Europe. It has thin leaves, summer flowers in shades of red-purple.

Description

It has 3 mm wide leaves, which appear in the autumn. It normally reaches a height of 10-16 inches (or 25–40 cm). But can reach up to 45 cm tall. It flowers between March and June. Normally more than 2 flowers per stem. When the flowering shoot comes out of the ground it is covered in a purple or white blotched sheath.James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) These then open up to revel red-purple flowers with orange spots, or yellow stripe on the falls.

Biochemistry

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. Sets of chromosomes refer to the number of maternal and paternal chromosome copies, respectively ...

, having two sets of

chromosomes A chromosome is a long DNA molecule with part or all of the genetic material of an organism. In most chromosomes the very long thin DNA fibers are coated with packaging proteins; in eukaryotic cells the most important of these proteins are ...

, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. It has a chromosome count: 2n=32.

Taxonomy

Its name means 'thread-leaved iris'. In

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, it is also known as the 'Narrow-leaved Purple Iris'. It is often mistakenly called 'Spanish Iris'. The Spanish Iris is ''

Iris xiphium ''Iris xiphium'', commonly known as the Spanish iris, is an iris native to Spain and Portugal. It has also been found in Corsica, South West France, southern Italy, Algeria and Tunisia. This species is also known as the small bulbous-rooted ir ...

''. In 1842, it was first described by

Pierre Edmond Boissier Pierre Edmond Boissier (25 May 1810 Geneva – 25 September 1885 Valeyres-sous-Rances) was a Swiss prominent botanist, explorer and mathematician. He was the son of Jacques Boissier (1784-1857) and Caroline Butini (1786-1836), daughter of Pierre ...

in 'Voyage botanique en Espagne' Vol 2, on page 602. Dykes notes that this description is incorrect. It was also described in Curtis's Botanical Magazine No.5929 as 'Xiphion filifolium'. It was recorded in the

Catalogue of Life The Catalogue of Life is an online database that provides an index of known species of animals, plants, fungi, and microorganisms. It was created in 2001 as a partnership between the global Species 2000 and the American Integrated Taxonomic Info ...

in 2011, and it was verified by

United States Department of Agriculture The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the United States federal executive departments, federal executive department responsible for developing and executing federal laws related to farming, forestry, rural economic development, ...

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 4 April 2003, and updated on 14 November 2005.

Distribution and habitat

It is

native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...

to temperate regions of North

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...

and

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

Range

It was found originally on

Sierra de Mijas The Sierra de Mijas is a mountain range in southern Spain, part of the coastal mountain range that lies behind the Costa del Sol Occidental, in Andalusia. It separates the Valle del Guadalhorce region from the Costa del Sol. The highest point is ...

, and Sierra Bermeja in

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, at above sea level. It is found within Africa, in

Morocco Morocco (),, ) officially the Kingdom of Morocco, is the westernmost country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It overlooks the Mediterranean Sea to the north and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and has land borders with Algeria to ...

, (near

Tangier Tangier ( ; ; ar, طنجة, Ṭanja) is a city in northwestern Morocco. It is on the Moroccan coast at the western entrance to the Strait of Gibraltar, where the Mediterranean Sea meets the Atlantic Ocean off Cape Spartel. The town is the cap ...

,) and within Europe, in Southwestern

, and in

Habitat

''Iris filifolia'' likes to grow in sandy areas.

Cultivation

It is best grown in a bulb frame in the UK. It is known to be

toxic Toxicity is the degree to which a chemical substance or a particular mixture of substances can damage an organism. Toxicity can refer to the effect on a whole organism, such as an animal, bacterium, or plant, as well as the effect on a subst ...

like other bulbs in the genus.

Cultivars

Several known cultivars are; * 'A. Bloemaard' (dark blue) * 'Filifolia' * 'Filifolia Alba' * 'Filifolia Elizabeth' * 'Filifolia Imperator' * 'Filifolia Praecox' * 'Latifolia' * 'Queen Of Gazelles' * 'Rex'

Hybrids

* ''Iris filifolia'' var. ''latifolia'' (Foster) wide leaved variant British Iris Society (1997) * ''Iris filifolia'' var. ''filifolia'' (Boiss) and thread-like leaved variant,

References

Other sources

* Fennane, M. & M. I. Tattou 1998. Catalogue des plantes vasculaires rares, menacées ou endémiques du Maroc (Bocconea) 8:205. * Jahandiez, E. & R. Maire Catalogue des plantes du Maroc. 1931-1941 (L Maroc) * Maire, R. C. J. E. et al. Flore de l'Afrique du Nord. 1952- (F Afr Nord) * Mathew, B. The Iris. 1981 (Iris) 136. * Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. Flora europaea. 1964-1980 (F Eur)

External links

{{Taxonbar, from=Q15570314 filifolia Plants described in 1842 Flora of Spain Flora of Gibraltar Flora of Morocco Flora of Europe Taxa named by Pierre Edmond Boissier