Iris Haynei
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''Iris haynei'', the Gilboa iris (; ), is a plant species in the genus '' Iris'', subgenus '' Iris'' and section ''Oncocyclus''. 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 shrublands and mountainsides mostly in
Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
and
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, on the Gilboa mountain. The Iris haynei is considered to be the national flower of Palestine. It has smooth, linear or lanceolate, greyish-green leaves and a long slender stem and, between March and April, large fragrant flowers in shades of deep purple, violet, purple, brownish purple or dusky lilac veining or speckling over a pale ground. It has a dark purple, black-brown, to blackish signal patch and a beard, varying from dark purple, white, or dark-tipped yellow. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in
temperate regions 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 ...
as it needs arid conditions during the summer.


Description

It is a geophyte, with a stout rhizome,British Iris Society (1997) and small brown
stolons In biology, a stolon ( from Latin '' 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 stolons ar ...
. They are below the surface of the ground, they all form clumps of plants. It has between 5 and 8 leaves, which are smooth, linear,John Weathers or lanceolate, greyish-green. They can grow up to between long, and between 1 and 1.5 cm wide. They grow in the spring and then fade after the summer. It has a slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between tall.James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) The stems carry the flowers high above the foliage. The stems hold terminal (top of stem) flowers, blooming in spring, between March and April. The fragrant flowers, are in diameter. They come in shades of deep purple, violet, purple, brownish purple, or dusky lilac, and are normally veined or spotted over a pale or pale pink-violet background. 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'. The oblong or ovate, (rounded,) and recurved (bent backwards) falls are long and 4–6 cm wide. They are more densely veined and spotted than the standards. The incurved (bent forwards), standards are long and 6–7 cm wide. In the centre of the falls, is a dark purple, black-brown, to blackish signal patch, also, in the middle of the falls, is a row of short hairs called the 'beard', which are variable, from dark purple, white, or dark tipped yellow. A semi-
albino Albinism is the congenital absence of melanin in an animal or plant resulting in white hair, feathers, scales and skin and reddish pink or blue eyes. Individuals with the condition are referred to as albinos. Varied use and interpretation of ...
form with a white-yellowish, or golden yellow flower and a dark red signal patch, has been recorded. It has a 2.5 cm long perianth-tube, and after the iris has flowered, it produces an loculicidal (meaning it has chambers) seed capsule, inside the seeds have a method of delaying
germination Germination is the process by which an organism grows from a seed or spore. The term is applied to the sprouting of a seedling from a seed of an angiosperm or gymnosperm, the growth of a sporeling from a spore, such as the spores of fungi, ...
, for up to several years, so that they can re-produce plants following periods of
droughts A drought is a period of drier-than-normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, ...
.


Genetics

In 2002, a genetic analysis study was carried out on ''I. haynei'' and '' Iris atrofusca'' in Israel, to find the
DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...
markers and phenotypic variation. 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 a chromosome count: 2n=20. It was counted in 1977 by Avishai & Zohary, then published in 1980.


Taxonomy

Its name in
Modern Hebrew Modern Hebrew (, or ), also known as Israeli Hebrew or simply Hebrew, is the Standard language, standard form of the Hebrew language spoken today. It is the only surviving Canaanite language, as well as one of the List of languages by first w ...
is , and in Arabic as . It has the common name Gilboa Iris. 'Mount Gilboa Iris'. 'Iris of Mount Gilboa', or 'Irus Ha-Gilboa'. The
Palestinian Palestinians () are an Arab ethnonational group native to the Levantine region of Palestine. *: "Palestine was part of the first wave of conquest following Muhammad's death in 632 CE; Jerusalem fell to the Caliph Umar in 638. The indigenous p ...
name is 'Sawsan Faqqua' or 'Sawsan Gilboa'. The
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 ...
''haynei'' refers to William Amherst Hayne (1847–1873), (from
Trinity College, Cambridge Trinity College is a Colleges of the University of Cambridge, constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1546 by King Henry VIII, Trinity is one of the largest Cambridge colleges, with the largest financial endowment of any ...
),
Henry Baker Tristram Henry Baker Tristram FRS (11 May 1822 – 8 March 1906) was an English clergyman, Bible scholar, traveller and ornithologist. As a parson-naturalist he was an early, but short-lived, supporter of Darwinism, attempting to reconcile evolution an ...
who was a botanist, who went with Tristram, to the ruins of Ataruz and Machaerus (Mukawir) in 1873. Although one source mistakenly, thought it was named after Friedrich Gottlob Hayne (1763–1832). It was originally found in
Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, on Mount Gilboa, by Hayne in April 1872, and then it was first published and described by
John Gilbert Baker John Gilbert Baker (13 January 1834 – 16 August 1920) was an England, English botanist. His son was the botanist Edmund Gilbert Baker (1864–1949). Biography Baker was born in Guisborough in North Yorkshire, the son of John and Mary (née ...
in '' The Gardeners' Chronicle'', Vol.6 on page 710 in 1876. This description was based on dried samples of plants that Haynes had originally found. Occasionally, it is claimed that the plant's author is Mallet (George B. Mallett, 1955– ), (as ''I. haynei'' (Baker) Mallet ) as it was thought to be called ''Iris hayne'' before 1905, and then published in ''The Gardeners' Chronicle'' Vol.35 on page 266 in 1904, but this has been rejected by other information sources. It was also published in ''Journal of the RHS'' Vol.29 Proceedings on page 112 in 1905. ''I. haynei'' was thought to be closely related to '' Iris sari'' and was once also thought to be a form of ''Iris atrofusca'', but after genetic testing in 2001, it was found to be a separate but linked species. It is listed as ''I. haynei'' 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 ...
, and in the
Catalogue of Life The Catalogue of Life (CoL) 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 Taxono ...
. ''I. haynei'' is a tentatively accepted name by the RHS, and 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 4 April 2003, then updated on 1 December 2004.


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 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 ...
Western
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
.


Range

It is
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
Samaria Samaria (), the Hellenized form of the Hebrew name Shomron (), is used as a historical and Hebrew Bible, biblical name for the central region of the Land of Israel. It is bordered by Judea to the south and Galilee to the north. The region is ...
region of northeastern Israel and Palestine and northwestern Jordan, within the Lower Galilee, including on
Mount Tabor Mount Tabor ( ; ; ), sometimes spelled Mount Thabor, is a large hill of biblical significance in Lower Galilee, Northern District (Israel), northern Israel, at the eastern end of the Jezreel Valley, west of the Sea of Galilee. In the Hebrew Bi ...
, in the Bisan Valley of the Emek HaMaayanot Regional Council, and found on Mount Gilboa. Some small populations of the iris can be found in the
Judaean Desert The Judaean Desert or Judean Desert (, ) is a desert in the West Bank and Israel that stretches east of the ridge of the Judaean Mountains and in their rain shadow, so east of Jerusalem, and descends to the Dead Sea. Under the name El-Bariyah, ...
, and near the
kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...
of Ein Gev on the
Sea of Galilee The Sea of Galilee (, Judeo-Aramaic languages, Judeo-Aramaic: יַמּא דטבריא, גִּנֵּיסַר, ), also called Lake Tiberias, Genezareth Lake or Kinneret, is a freshwater lake in Israel. It is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth ...
. It can also cross adjacent borders such as the West Bank barrier and is found in the northern
West Bank The West Bank is located on the western bank of the Jordan River and is the larger of the two Palestinian territories (the other being the Gaza Strip) that make up the State of Palestine. A landlocked territory near the coast of the Mediter ...
.


Habitat

It grows in
Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...
woodlands, shrublands, and on rocky hillsides. It is found on soils containing
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) ...
, and dolomite, or at the edges of fields in terra rossa. They can be found at an altitude of above sea level.


Pollination

''I. haynei'', like many other ''Oncocyclus'' iris species, can be pollinated by night-sheltering solitary male bees ( eucerine bees), who are attracted to the heat reward of the dark flowers. Unlike other plants, the floral size of ''I. haynei'', is not an advantage for larger flowers and taller plants in attracting pollinators, over smaller plants such '' Iris tuberosa'', compared to '' Iris atropurpurea'' and '' Iris gracilipes'', where the large flowers does make an advantage, and has affected the evolution of flowers in ''I. atropurpurea''.


Synecology

On Mount Gilboa, the iris can be found growing alongside giant fennel and '' Euphorbia hierosolymitana'', near mastik and
carob The carob ( ; ''Ceratonia siliqua'') is a flowering evergreen tree or shrub in the Caesalpinioideae sub-family of the legume family, Fabaceae. It is widely cultivated for its edible fruit, which takes the form of seed pods, and as an ornam ...
, and at the edges of planted
Aleppo pine ''Pinus halepensis'', commonly known as the Aleppo pine, also known as the Jerusalem pine, is a pine native to the Mediterranean region. It was officially named by the botanist Philip Miller in his 1768 book ''The Gardener's Dictionary''; he pro ...
forests.


Conservation

In 1950's the iris suffered from widespread picking, by plant dealers and visitors, and locals from a nearby
kibbutz A kibbutz ( / , ; : kibbutzim / ) is an intentional community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. The first kibbutz, established in 1910, was Degania Alef, Degania. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economi ...
had collected the iris to make wreathes to decorate their rooms. It soon became very rare and endangered. In 1959, all Oncocyclus irises in Israel were listed as 'Very Rare'. Then in 1963, the Nature Reserves Act was established in Israel, the
Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel (, ''HaHevra LeHaganat HaTeva''), or SPNI, is an Israeli non-profit environmental organization working to preserve plants, animals, and natural environments that represent bio-diversity, by protectin ...
with a parliamentary lobby also initiated a special law for the protection of 95% of wildlife, including many threatened plants. It included the designation of 30 National Parks and 145 sites as nature reserves, which were administrated by Nature Conservation Authority. The 1964 'Species Protection Law' and the 'Endangered Species Law' includes various irises. Then in 1964, the Nature Reserves Authority (NRA) was established to enforce the act and manage the various reserves. The creation of nature reserves and wild plant protection law has saved the plant from extinction, Some of the reserves were set up specifically due to the presence of 'Oncocyclus' irises, including on Mount Gilboa. Also, a public education campaign including school teaching programmes, pamphlets and posters, stopped the public picking the wild plants. It was also thought that within the nature reserves, there needed to be controlled cattle grazing to reduce plant competition from aggressive grasses, herbs and thistles. The iris can also be found in the nature reserves of Nahal Misgav, Nahal Qedesh, Nahal Dishon and Nahal Bet Ha'emek in Upper Galilee,
Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
, Har Yona and Giv'at Ha-more in Lower Galilee and in Hula Valley within Ein Avazim. It is also found in Jalaboun ( Important Plant Area), which has a typical Mediterranean climate and consists of open 'maquis' (
chaparral Chaparral ( ) is a shrubland plant plant community, community found primarily in California, southern Oregon, and northern Baja California. It is shaped by a Mediterranean climate (mild wet winters and hot dry summers) and infrequent, high-intens ...
), with olive groves and fields of
wheat Wheat is a group of wild and crop domestication, domesticated Poaceae, grasses of the genus ''Triticum'' (). They are Agriculture, cultivated for their cereal grains, which are staple foods around the world. Well-known Taxonomy of wheat, whe ...
and pasture. The creation of the wall between Israel and Palestine (since 2002), has also affected its habitat. Several hundred flower groups were trans-located to the Mount Barkan area of Mount Gilboa, but most of these plants died between 2–10 years, due to dense pine tree plantations. In 2015, it was listed as rare, on the West Bank of Palestine, and parts of Israel (except on Mount Gilboa). On 24 February 2016, it was assessed by the IUCN as Vulnerable. It has a restricted habitat of less than 100 km2. It is now part of Jerusalem Botanical Gardens preservation project, which includes seed collection.


Mount Gilboa controversy

Before the creation of the Mount Gilboa Nature Reserve, the iris was threatened by
deforestation Deforestation or forest clearance is the removal and destruction of a forest or stand of trees from land that is then converted to non-forest use. Deforestation can involve conversion of forest land to farms, ranches, or urban use. Ab ...
, in 1950, the Jewish National Fund (JNF) led by Yosef Weitz, built a village near the Arab towns (on the Mount) to provide a new site for Jewish emigrants from
Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
. Afterwards, 47,000 saplings were planted on the hillsides. But most of these plants died due to drought in 1951 and excessive rain in 1952. Weitz carried on planting trees, by 1960, he had planted 355,000 trees on 170 dunams with on a 2% not surviving. Although Azariah Alon (co-founder of the SPNI), who lived nearby called the foresters "barbarians". They destroyed native vegetation with fire and planted pines and
eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...
. Alon then confronted Sharon Weitz (Yosef's son and head of the northern region Forestry Department). Azariah used his radio show to put forward his arguments. Yosef agreed to a change in the tree plans, and left the upper region of Barkan Mount, unplanted. Also many of the other pine trees died due to being planted too dense. Parts of the mount, could not be re-forested due to high amounts of kaolinite clay, which stopped tree growth. By February 1966, the populations of the iris were very scattered, making reproduction via pollination very difficult, also they were attacked by
porcupines Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp Spine (zoology), spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two Family (biology), families of animals: the Old World porcupines of the family Hystricidae, and the New ...
and
rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are n ...
. Then in the spring of 1967, a conservationist (Palti Sela, a ranger in the
Israel Nature and Parks Authority The Israel Nature and Parks Authority (, ; ) is an Israeli government organization that manages nature reserves and national parks in Israel, the Golan Heights and parts of the West Bank. The organization was founded in April 1998, merging two o ...
) with various assistants and friends, transplanted iris groups to make large groups. Also they used the 'tweezers method', to fertilize the irises. In 1970, a nature reserve on the mount, was created to protect the iris and other endemic wildflowers, then in 1976 and 1977, 170 plant species were counted on Mount Gilboa, including ''I. haynei''.G. M. Woodwell In 2003, an eco-friendly settlement (called 'Michal' with 120 housing units) was planned to be built on the eastern slope of the mount, it was proved by the INPA, who managed the land. Then in 2005, the 'Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel' (SPNI) carried out a survey on the mount (the site of the new proposed settlement), and over 3,500 iris plants were recorded. A coalition of Israeli scientists and the SPNI had objected to the planned settlement of 'Michal', which would risk "total extinction" of the iris. Although, the settlement was planned for energy-efficient homes, built with recycled materials, and the use of native plants. "We want to live with nature" said software engineer Aviv Harary. Also all the iris in the way would have been be transplanted before the construction begins. In reply, Michael Avishai, scientific director of the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens said that pollinating insects would have to compete with other insects introduced by the settlement gardens and agriculture. Another scientist warned that the light, pets, gardens, and utilities from the settlement could affect an area on the mountain 10 times larger than its footprint of homes. The SPNI also worked with ''The Gilboa Guard'' (or ''Mishmar Hagilboa'') a local grassroots organization to provide opposition to the plan.Liam Leonard and Sya Buryn Kedzior (Editors)
Likud Likud (, ), officially known as Likud – National Liberal Movement (), is a major Right-wing politics, right-wing, political party in Israel. It was founded in 1973 by Menachem Begin and Ariel Sharon in an alliance with several right-wing par ...
legislator Omri Sharon, son of the former prime minister, was in favour of the settlement. Eventually the settlement was abandoned. Later another nature reserve was created (by the government on the development site) to protect the iris and other endangered wildflowers on the mount, The cancellation of the plan, then enforced the status of the SPNI, as an environmental organisation and public representative, and now proved in law. In 2012, the mount then became the site of a new public battle between the JNF and the SPNI. In 2006, Israel Nature and Parks Authority (INPA) agreed to pass over its forest lands (or woodlands) to the JNF, this would alter the status of many acres of land. The parks authority looks after about 6 million dunams (1.5 million acres), and the JNF has 1.2 million dunams (300,000 acres). The agreement meant that the JNF would not interfere in the declaration of nature reserves in other places in Israel. The SPNI were very concerned about the agreement, as the JNF is more interested in construction and development instead of nature protection. Also the status of forest gives less protection to the open space rather than the status of nature reserve. The SPNI had even included Mount Gilboa in its list of threatened sites. Professor Yoram Yom-Tov of
Tel Aviv University Tel Aviv University (TAU) is a Public university, public research university in Tel Aviv, Israel. With over 30,000 students, it is the largest university in the country. Located in northwest Tel Aviv, the university is the center of teaching and ...
, was one of 60 scientists who signed an open letter against the transfer. He said "Transferring these lands to the JNF is a grave mistake". The SPNI wanted part of Mount Gilboa become a nature reserve, that it would co-manage with the JNF, but this was rejected. Dr. Omri Boneh said the Society's plan was rejected due to local councils opposition. Iris expert Dr. Yuval Sapir told a committee of scientific experts at the parks authority that "some forest ranger who doesn't know the management instructions for the area could come along and plow it up or spray it." The feud between the two groups also includes the Tu Bishvat planting ceremony by JNF of oak trees in the Lower Galilee's
Beit Keshet Beit Keshet (, ''lit.'' House of the Bow (weapon), Bow) is a kibbutz in northern Israel. Located to the east of Nazareth, it falls under the jurisdiction of Lower Galilee Regional Council. As of its population was . It is located immediately opp ...
(a kibbutz, near
Nazareth Nazareth is the largest Cities in Israel, city in the Northern District (Israel), Northern District of Israel. In its population was . Known as "the Arab capital of Israel", Nazareth serves as a cultural, political, religious, economic and ...
). The SPNI wanted the site to be nature reserve. Also a new law was being discussed by the Israeli Agriculture Ministry to establish a forestry authority. The JNF think they are best placed to run it, but the SPNI deputy director general Nir Papai told Environmental Protection Minister Gilad Erdan that the JNFs "organizational and statutory structure are unsuitable for the structure required by a government authority managing forests."


Cultivation

'Oncocyclus Section' Irises are easier to grow than 'Regelia Section' irises. In general, they need good drainage, minimal summer rainfall and dry winters, similar to a semi-arid climate. In temperate areas (such as the Europe and America), they are only suitable for growing by specialist iris growers, within a bulb frame or greenhouse. They can be grown under glass (in frames), to protect the irises from excess moisture (especially during winter times) and also to ensure the (shallow planted) rhizomes get the best temperatures during the growing season. They can be grown in pots (especially in deep ones known as 'long toms'), but they need re-potting, every 2 years and extra feeding. Watering is one of the most critical aspects of iris cultivation. It can suffer from
aphids Aphids are small sap-sucking insects in the Taxonomic rank, family Aphididae. Common names include greenfly and blackfly, although individuals within a species can vary widely in color. The group includes the fluffy white Eriosomatinae, woolly ...
, viruses and rots.


Propagation

Irises can generally be propagated by division, or by seed growing. Irises generally require a period of cold, then a period of warmth and heat, also they need some moisture. Some seeds need stratification, (the cold treatment), which can be carried out indoors or outdoors. Seedlings are generally potted on (or transplanted) when they have 3 leaves. Oncoyclus irises dislike division, but it should only be carried out when the plant is overcrowded. Although hand pollination and germinating seedlings gives better results.


Hybrids and cultivars

Iris haynei has the following recorded
cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...
names; 'Biggeri' and 'Haynei'. Known ''I. haynei'' crosses include; 'Arabian Knight' ('' Iris gatesii'' X ''I. haynei''), 'Galeet' (crossed with '' Iris hermona''), 'Gilmond' (crossed with ''Iris hermona''), 'Judean Bronze' (crossed with '' Iris auranitica''), 'Shah Azul' (crossed with Iris 'Judean Cream'), and 'Syrian Dawn'. ''I. haynei'' is the grandparent in the following crosses; 'Gethsemane', 'Shany' ('' Iris atropurpurea'' x ''I. haynei''), and 'Syrian Scroll' (''Iris gatesii'' x ''I. haynei'').


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. Also, handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction.


Culture

It was also used for a postage stamp on 26 December 1978, part of a series of wild flowers. One source states that Iris bismarckiana (also known as 'Iris nazareth') was chosen, as the logo of The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel in 1970, but it was in fact ''I. haynei''.Alon Tal On Mount Gilboa, there is a
trail A trail, also known as a path or track, is an unpaved lane or a small paved road (though it can also be a route along a navigable waterways) generally not intended for usage by motorized vehicles, usually passing through a natural area. Ho ...
between March and April to see the iris in flower, thousands can walk the trail. In 2012, it also inspired a romance novel set on Mount Gilboa, ''The Gilboa Iris'' by Zahava D Englard. On 5 April 2016, the Ministry of Environmental Affairs (Palestine) had adopted 'Sawsan Gilboa' (''I. haynei'') as the national plant of the
State of Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...
, to go with the
Olive tree The olive, botanical name ''Olea europaea'' ("European olive"), is a species of Subtropics, subtropical evergreen tree in the Family (biology), family Oleaceae. Originating in Anatolia, Asia Minor, it is abundant throughout the Mediterranean ...
(as the national tree), Palestine sunbird (national bird) and 5 March to be the national day for the Palestinian environment.


References


Sources

* Mathew, B. The Iris. 1981 (Iris) 50–51. * Sapir, Y. et al. 2002. Morphological variation of the Oncocyclus irises (Iris: Iridaceae) in the southern Levant Bot. J. Linn. Soc. 139:369–382. * Zohary, M. & N. Feinbrun-Dothan Flora palaestina. 1966– (F Palest)


External links


Listed as part of the 'Flora of Israel'

Has an image of the iris from 2010, Malkishua, Gilboa mountains, Israel
{{Taxonbar, from=Q7033724 haynei Flora of Palestine (region)