''Iris rosenbachiana'', the spinster 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 ...

'', it is also in the subgenus ''Scorpiris''. It is a

bulbous In botany, a bulb is a short underground stem with fleshy leaves or leaf basesBell, A.D. 1997. ''Plant form: an illustrated guide to flowering plant morphology''. Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K. that function as food storage organs duri ...

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 Central Asia, within Tajikistan and Afghanistan. It has long mid-green leaves, short flower stem, sweet scented flowers in early spring in shades of purple.

Description

''Iris rosenbachiana'' is thought to be in the same 'physocaulon' group of junos, along with ''

Iris kopetdagensis 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 people ...

'', ''

Iris leptorhiza 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 people ...

'', ''

Iris popovii 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 people ...

'', ''

Iris nicolai 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 people ...

'', ''

Iris baldschuanica 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 people ...

'' and '' Iris zaprjagajevii''. They all have short thick storage tubers which come to a point, and they have an extra side bulb in addition to the bulb which produces the flowers and leaves. It has lance-shaped, channelled, mid-green leaves formed from a basal tuft. The multiple leaves, grow at the same time as the short flower stem. It grows up between to 10–15 cm (4–6 in) tall. It has deeply sweet scented flowers. It has between 1–3 flowers per stem, which are long tubed and about 4–5 cm (1.5–2 in) wide. This iris is one of the first Juno irises to appear in mild winters of

Washington, D.C. 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. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, in the US, flowering in late February,Benjamin Yeo Morrison but it can also flower in March in

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 7 gardens. In the UK, it blooms between March and April. The flowers are variable in colour, but are generally of rosy lavender with markings of darker purple and gold, but they can range from deep purple, deep rich purple, light purple, pale mauve to white. It has small down-turned rich purple standards and reddish purple falls, each with an orange, or yellow ridge or crest in the centre. It has yellow-orange pollen. This iris has a seed that has an aril.

Taxonomy

It is sometimes known as the ''Spinster iris''.

Donald Wyman Donald Wyman (1904 — 6 December 1993) was an American horticulturist, the head of horticulture at Harvard University's Arnold Arboretum from 1935 to 1970. He took a bachelor's degree in horticulture from Pennsylvania State College (1926) and a m ...

It was first published by Regel in 'Trudy Imperatorskago St. Peterburgskago Botaniceskago Sada' Vol3 in 1884. 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 ...

''rosenbachiana'' is derived from that of the Russian governor of

Turkestan Turkestan,; ; ; ; also spelled Turkistan, is a historical region in Central Asia corresponding to the regions of Transoxiana and East Turkestan (Xinjiang). The region is located in the northwest of modern day China and to the northwest of its ...

where the bulb was found,

Nikolai Rozenbakh Nikolai Ottonovich von Rozenbakh (Николай Оттонович фон Розенбах) (12 June 1836 in Püssi – 5 May 1901 in Petersburg) was a Russians (citizens), Russian General during the nineteenth century. He was Governor-General ...

(1804 – 1889). ''Iris rosenbachiana'' is now the accepted name by the RHS, 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 3 October 2014. Note, ''Iris rosenbachiana'' var. ''baldshuanica'' is a synonym of ''

Iris baldshuanica 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 ...

''.

Native

''Iris rosenbachiana'' is found in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

, within North

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

. It has been found in the

Pamir-Alai The Pamir-Alay is a mountain system in Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan, encompassing four main mountain ranges extending west from the Tian Shan Mountains, and located north of the main range of Pamir. They are variously considered part of ...

mountains at altitudes of up to 2000 m above sea level, and it has also been found in the

Hissar Mountains The Hisar Range, formerly the Gissar Range, is a mountain range in Central Asia, in the western part of the Pamir-Alay system, stretching over 200 km in the general east–west direction across the territory of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Ge ...

, and

Fann Mountains The Fann Mountains () are part of the western Pamir-Alay mountain system in Tajikistan's Sughd Province, between the Zarafshan Range to the north and the Gissar Range to the south. In an east-west direction, they extend from the Fan Darya to ...

Tajikistan Tajikistan, officially the Republic of Tajikistan, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Dushanbe is the capital city, capital and most populous city. Tajikistan borders Afghanistan to the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border, south, Uzbekistan to ...

Cultivation

This species is similar to ''

'' both in cultural requirements and form. It prefers to grow in well-drained soils, that have a stony composition including

dolomitic Dolomite () is an anhydrous carbonate mineral composed of calcium magnesium carbonate, ideally The term is also used for a sedimentary carbonate rock composed mostly of the mineral dolomite (see Dolomite (rock)). An alternative name sometimes ...

lime dust. They like summer drought and well ventilated positions. It is difficult to grow outside in the UK, so best cultivated in an alpine house or bulb frame.

Known Cultivars

*''Iris rosenbachiana'' 'Harangon' - large white flowers *''Iris rosenbachiana'' 'Tovil Dara' - dark purple flowers from Tovil Dara town in Tajikistan. *''Iris rosenbachiana'' 'Varzob' - cream coloured flowers from Tajikistan.

References

Other sources

* Czerepanov, S. K. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR). 1995 (L USSR) * Khassanov, F. O. & N. Rakhimova 2012. Taxonomic revision of the genus Iris L. (Iridaceae Juss.) for the flora of Central Asia (Stapfia) 97:179. * Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. Flora SSSR. 1934-1964 (F USSR) * Mathew, B. The Iris. 1981 (Iris) 164. * Rechinger, K. H., ed. Flora iranica. 1963- (F Iran)

External links

image of Iris rosenbachiana 'Harangon'Image of Iris rosenbachiana 'Harangon'
* * {{Taxonbar, from=Q15571683 rosenbachiana Plants described in 1884 Flora of Central Asia Flora of Afghanistan