Iris subg. Iris

Subgenus ''Iris'' is one subgenus of ''Iris''.

''Iris'' as a plant was originally named by Carl Linnaeus in his book Systema Naturae (in 1735), with a great number of species being added into the genus. Including new ones that were found after the book’s publication.
The division of irises into varies subgroups, has taken various forms over the years. By the 19th century botanists had created new genera such as ''Evansia'', ''Hermodactylus'', ''Moraea'', ''Oncocyclus'', and ''Xiphion''. Opinion was often divided whether to split the genus into several parts or lump them back into Iris. From J. G. Baker, who separated some such as ''Moraea'' and ''Xiphion'' from Iris in his book 'Handbook of the Irideae' (published in London) in 1892. Then William R. Dykes, who clarified the situation by a compromise in his monograph ''The Genus Iris'' (by Cambridge University Press, 1913; later reprinted in 1974 by Dover). He was the first to term the subgroup as ''Iris sect. Iris''.
G. Rodionenko's 1961 reclassification in ''The Genus Iris'' (written in Russian, Moscow, 1961) was more comprehensive in that he split the genus into five genera: Iris (which included all rhizomatous irises).
A taxonomic revision by Brian Mathew in 1981 (''The iris'', New York: Universe Books), recognized six subgenera: ''Nepalensis'' Dykes, ''Xiphium'' (Miller) Spach, ''Scorpiris'' Spach, ''Hermodactyloides'' Spach, ''Iris'' L. and ''Limniris'' Tausch.
Recently, DNA analysis has been used to determine groupings.

The Iris subgenus has been divided into six sections; bearded irises (or pogon irises), ''Psammiris'', ''Oncocyclus'', ''Regelia'', ''Hexapogon'' and ''Pseudoregelia''. Sections ''Oncocyclus'' and ''Regelia'' are also called aril irises.

Section bearded irises (or pogon irises)

This is the largest section of the subgenus, the true bearded irises. Most irises come from Southern or eastern Europe. 'Pogon' refers to the Greek word for beard. It has several species of iris including;

* ''Iris adriatica'' Trinajstic ex Mitic
* ''Iris albertii''
* ''Iris albicans''—white flag Iris, white cemetery iris.
* ''Iris alexeenkoi'' Grossh.
* '' Iris aphylla'' L.—stool iris, table iris, leafless iris.
** ''Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica'' Waldst. & Kit.) Hegi
* ''Iris attica'' (Boiss. & Heldr.) Hayek
* '' Iris benacensis'' A.Kern. ex Stapf
* '' Iris bicapitata'' Colas.
* ''Iris croatica''—Perunika; endemic to Croatia.
* ''Iris cypriana'' Foster & Baker—endemic to Cyprus.
* '' Iris flavescens'' Delile—lemon-yellow iris
* ''Iris florentina'' L.—syn: ''Iris germanica'' nothovar. ''florentina'' (L.) Dykes
* '' Iris furcata'' Bieb.—forked iris.
* ''Iris'' × ''germanica'' L.—German iris (includes ''I.'' × ''barbata'').
** ''Iris germanica'' nothovar. ''florentina'' Dykes
* '' Iris glaucescens'' Bunge
* ''Iris griffithii'' Baker
* ''Iris hellenica'' Mermygkas
* ''Iris illyrica'' (often included in ''I. pallida'')—endemic to Balkan Peninsula.
* ''Iris imbricata'' Lindl.
* ''Iris junonia'' Schott ex Kotschy
* '' Iris kashmiriana'' Baker
* '' Iris lutescens'' Lam. (including ''I. italica'')
* '' Iris marsica'' I.Ricci & Colas.
* ''Iris mesopotamica''—Mesopotamian iris
* ''Iris orjenii''—Orjen iris
* ''Iris pallida''—sweet iris, Dalmatian iris
** ''Iris pallida'' subsp. ''cengialti'' – ''Iris cengialti''
* ''Iris perrieri'' Simonet ex P.Fourn.
* ''Iris pseudopumila'' Tineo
* ''Iris pumila'' L.
* ''Iris purpureobractea'' B.Mathew & T.Baytop
* ''Iris relicta'' Colas.
* ''Iris reichenbachii'' Heuff.—Reichenbach's iris
* '' Iris revoluta Colas.
* ''Iris sambucina'' L.
* ''Iris scariosa'' Willd. ex Link
* ''Iris schachtii'' Markgr.
* ''Iris suaveolens'' Boiss. & Reut. (including ''I. iliensis'')
* ''Iris subbiflora'' Brot.
* ''Iris taochia'' Woronow ex Grossh.
* ''Iris timofejewii'' Woronow
* ''Iris variegata'' L.—Hungarian iris

It also includes thousands of ornamental plant cultivars, which have been divided into various height categories.
*MDB – Miniature dwarf bearded
*SDB – Standard dwarf bearded
*IB – Intermediate bearded
*BB – Border bearded
*MTB – Miniature tall bearded
*TB – Tall bearded

''Psammiris''

This section of irises was first described by Spach.
Most of the Irises come from Russia and Northwest china. Mostly rhizomatous, and flowering in late spring.
'Psammiris' is derived from the Greek word for sand.

It includes;
* ''Iris arenaria'' Waldst. and Kit.
* ''Iris bloudowii'' Bunge.
* '' Iris curvifolia'' Zhao
* '' Iris humilis'' Georgi
* ''Iris kamelinii'' Alexeeva
* '' Iris mandshurica'' Maxim.
* ''Iris potaninii'' Maxim.
* ''Iris vorobievii'' N.S.Pavlova

''Oncocyclus''

Oncocyclus irises are rhizomatous perennials. They also generally need rich soils that drain easy and are in full sun. Most also prefer a dry period after flowering.Christopher Brickell
The Oncocyclus irises are mostly from Turkey, Caucasus and Iran. The flowers usually only have one flower, which is veined or spotted. Some of these species have been bred with bearded irises to create unique colours and markings. Oncocyclus is a Greek word, with ''onco'' meaning mass, or bulk, and ''cyclus'' meaning circle. In 1846, the term 'Oncocyclus' was first used by C.H. Siemssen as the ''Genus Oncocyclus'' in 1846 in Botanische Zeitung. Baker then re-classified it to a subgenus in 1877, than Dykes lowered it to a section in 1914, where it currently remains.
* ''Iris acutiloba'' C.A.Mey. (including ''I. ewbankiana'' )
** ''Iris acutiloba'' subsp. ''lineolata'' (Trautvetter) Mathew and Wendlobo
** ''Iris acutiloba'' subsp. ''longitepala'' Mathew & Zarrei
* ''Iris antilibanotica'' Dinsmore
* ''Iris assadiana'' Chaudhary, Kirkw. & C.Weymolauth
* ''Iris auranitica'' Dinsmore
* ''Iris atrofusca'' Bak.
* ''Iris atropurpurea'' Bak.
* ''Iris barnumiae'' Bak. & Fost.
** ''Iris barnumiae'' subsp. ''demawendica'' (Bornm.) B.Mathew & Wendelbo
* ''Iris basaltica'' Dinsmore
* ''Iris bismarckiana'' Reg. – Nazareth iris
* ''Iris bostrensis'' Mouterde
* ''Iris camillae'' Grossh.
* ''Iris cedreti'' Dinsm. ex Chaudhary
* '' Iris damascena'' Mouterde
* ''Iris gatesii'' Foster
* ''Iris grossheimii'' Woronow ex Grossh.
* ''Iris haynei'' Baker – Gilboa iris
* ''Iris heylandiana'' Boiss. & Reut.
* ''Iris hermona'' Dinsmore – Hermon iris
* '' Iris iberica'' Hoffm.
**'' Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima'' (Sosn.) Fed. & Takht.
**''Iris iberica subsp. lycotis'' (Woronow) Takht.
* '' Iris kirkwoodi'' (including ''I. calcarea'')
* ''Iris lortetii'' Barbey ex Boiss.
* ''Iris mariae'' Barbey.
* '' Iris meda'' Stapf
* ''Iris nigricans'' Dinsm.
* ''Iris paradoxa'' Steven
* ''Iris petrana'' Dinsm.
* ''Iris sari'' Schott ex Bak.
* ''Iris susiana'' L. – mourning iris
* ''Iris westii'' Dinsm.
* '' Iris yebrudii'' Dinsm. ex Chaud.

''Regelia''

Mostly from the mountainous regions of Iran, Afghanistan and the Altai Mountains. Most irises have a stem that has 2 flowers. It was named in 1904 by Robert Lynch in his book ''The Book of The Iris'' after Dr Regel.
* ''Iris afghanica'' Wend
* ''Iris darwasica'' Regel
* ''Iris heweri'' Grey-Wilson & B. Mathew
* ''Iris hoogiana'' Dykes
* ''Iris korolkowii'' Regel
* ''Iris kuschkensis'' Grey-Wilson & B. Mathew
* ''Iris lineata'' Foster ex Regel
* ''Iris stolonifera'' Maxim.

Hybrids of Regelia irises and Oncocyclus irises are known as 'Regelicyclous'.Christopher Brickell

''Hexapogon''

Mostly from the desert area of Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan.
Most irises have beards on the falls and standards.
Note 'hexa' refers to the number 6 and 'pogon' refers to the Greek word for beard.
* '' Iris falcifolia'' Bunge
* ''Iris longiscapa'' Ledeb.

''Pseudoregelia''

Mostly from the mountainous regions of Eastern Asia.
Most irises have flowers that have blotches or colour spots on.
* ''Iris cuniculiformis'' Noltie & K.Y.Guan
* ''Iris dolichosiphon'' Noltie
* ''Iris goniocarpa'' Bak.
* ''Iris hookeriana'' Fost.
* '' Iris ivanovae'' Doronkin
* ''Iris kemaonensis'' Wall.
* ''Iris leptophylla'' Lingelsheim
* ''Iris narcissiflora'' Diels.
* ''Iris psammocola'' Y.T.Zhao
* ''Iris sikkimensis'' Dykes
* '' Iris tigridia'' Bunge ex Ledeb.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q18352123

Iris (plant)
Plant subgenera