''Iris purdyi'' is a species of

iris Iris most often refers to: *Iris (anatomy), part of the eye *Iris (mythology), a Greek goddess * ''Iris'' (plant), a genus of flowering plants * Iris (color), an ambiguous color term Iris or IRIS may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional ent ...

known by the common name Purdy's iris, named after

Carl Purdy Carl Purdy (1861 – August 8, 1945) was an American nurseryman from Ukiah, California. Early life Purdy was born in the Midwest and moved to Ukiah, California, as a child. He was accepted to the United States Military Academy, but could not a ...

. It is found in the redwood forests of California and into southern Oregon, and hence is also known as the redwood iris. The plant flowers from April to June.

Description

Leaves

The leaves are green and usually tinted along the edges with pink. There is a closed

spathe In botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis or cone scale. Bracts are usually different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or o ...

which is green with red edges.

Flowers

The flowers are light yellow and lavender, often veined with darker coloring, and are hermaphrodite. The stigma is rounded, truncate or bilobed and often edged with small teeth, it is the only species of ''Iris ser. Californicae'' not to have a triangular or tongue shaped stigma.

Seeds

The seeds are D-shaped or irregular, light brown and wrinkled.

Status

While once common, disturbance caused by logging and opening up new highways has allowed other species to move in, in particular ''I. douglasiana'' and ''I. macrosiphon'', and the resulting hybrids are abundant.

Location

The iris is found in Humboldt, Mendocino, Sonoma and Trinity counties in California, and in southern Oregon.

Hybridization

''Iris purdyi'' hybridizes with '' I. bracteata'', '' I. chrysophylla'', '' I. douglasiana'', '' I. innominata'', '' I. macrosiphon'', '' I. tenax'', and '' I. tenuissima''. It is rare in its unhybridized form. The cross with '' I. tenax'', called "Iota", was made by the Englishman William Dykes, and was the first Californian Iris to win a

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (No ...

Award of Merit, in 1914.

Uses

Traditional uses by native Americans were as a source of fibre to make rope, using the outside fibres from each leaf. The leaves can also be used to make a light tan paper.

References

External links

CalFlora database: ''Iris purdyi''

Jepson Manual Treatment

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
where the plant is on display {{Taxonbar, from=Q6070394 purdyi Flora of California Flora of Oregon Natural history of the California Coast Ranges Endemic flora of the United States Taxa named by Alice Eastwood Garden plants of North America Flora without expected TNC conservation status