Iris bracteata

S. Watson

Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts 20: 375. 1885.

Common names: Siskiyou iris
Endemic
Treatment appears in FNA Volume 26. Mentioned on page 384.

Rhizomes sheathed with old leaf-bases, slender, 0.6–0.9 cm diam.; roots few, fibrous. Stems simple, solid, 1.5–3 dm. Leaves: basal with abaxial surface of blades deep glossy green on one side of fan, light yellow-green on other side, pink or red-tinged basally, strongly ribbed, 4–6 dm × 0.8–1 cm, rigid, margins not thickened; cauline 3–6, imbricated, closely sheathing stem ca. 2/3 length, spreading distally, bractlike, blade inflated, often shorter than basal leaves. Inflorescences simple, units 1–2-flowered; spathes closed tightly around pedicel and ovary, lanceolate, 5.2–9 cm × 6–8 mm, subequal, herbaceous, margins scarious, apex acuminate. Flowers: perianth cream to buff-yellow; floral-tube 0.8–0.9 cm; sepals with deeper yellow signal, veined with purple or brown, obovate-lanceolate, 6.5 × 2.5 cm, base gradually attenuate into wide claw; petals narrowly oblanceolate, 7–9 × 0.8–2 cm, base gradually attenuate; ovary nearly circular in cross-section, 1.5–2.5 cm, base gradually attenuate into pedicel, apex abruptly acuminate into floral-tube; style 2.2–3 cm, crests spreading, yellow, not veined, 1.2 × 0.9–1.7 cm, margins toothed; stigmas triangular or tongue-shaped, margins entire; pedicel 3–6.2 cm. Capsules nearly circular in cross-section, tapering abruptly at each end, 2–2.5 × 1–1.5 cm. Seeds dark-brown, irregular in shape, wrinkled. 2n = 40.


Phenology: Flowering May–Jun.
Habitat: Shady forests, particularly ponderosa pine

Discussion

Iris bracteata is limited to one county each in northern California and southern Oregon. It hybridizes with I. chrysophylla, I. douglasiana, I. innominata, I. munzii, I. purdyi, and I. tenax.

Selected References

None.

Lower Taxa

None.

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... more about "Iris bracteata"
dehiscing +  and latrorse +
acuminate +
Norlan C. Henderson +
S. Watson +
attenuate +
Iris subsect. Californicae +
inflated +
additional +
cordlike +
enlarging +
2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br /> (?) +  and 1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (?) +
Siskiyou iris +
0.9cm;1.7cm +
monochasial +
Calif. +  and Oreg. +
distinct or;partly completely connate +
hollow +  and solid +
ridged +  and terete +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
sessile +  and pedicellate +
fragrant +
upward-facing +
hollow +, solid +, branched +  and simple +
flattened +, terete +  and cordlike +
indehiscent +  and loculicidal +
woody;firm;cartilaginous +
Shady forests, particularly ponderosa pine +
multicellular +
distinct +
cauline +  and basal +
scale-like +
distinct +
conspicuous +
triangular +  and rounded +
entire +  and ribbed +
red-tinged +, pink +  and light yellow-green +
toothed +  and fan +
scarious +  and rigid +
0.8cm;1cm +
6-angled +, 3-angled +  and terete +
1.5 cm15 mm <br />0.015 m <br /> (2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br />) +
3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (6.2 cm62 mm <br />0.062 m <br />) +
cream +  and buff-yellow +
4 cm40 mm <br />0.04 m <br /> (18 cm180 mm <br />0.18 m <br />) +
differentiated +
reflexed +, spreading +  and erect +
oblanceolate +
reduced +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (?) +  and 2 cm20 mm <br />0.02 m <br /> (?) +
Flowering May–Jun. +
Proc. Amer. Acad. Arts +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.9 cm9 mm <br />0.009 m <br />) +
heterogeneous +
tan;dark-brown +
conspicuously roughened +  and extensively corky +
dark-brown +
4 +  and 20 +
wrinkled +
irregular +
brown +  and purple +
reflexed +  and spreading +
obovate-lanceolate +
expanding +
2.5 cm25 mm <br />0.025 m <br /> (?) +
not thickened +
0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br /> (1 cm10 mm <br />0.01 m <br />) +
deeper yellow +
persisting +
5.2cm;9cm +
lanceolate +
subequal +
0.6 cm6 mm <br />0.006 m <br /> (0.8 cm8 mm <br />0.008 m <br />) +
monochasial +
solid +  and simple +
bractlike +
tongue--shaped +  and triangular +
3-lobed +  and filiform +
2.2 cm22 mm <br />0.022 m <br /> (?) +  and 3 cm30 mm <br />0.03 m <br /> (?) +
Undefined subg. Limniris +
Iris bracteata +
Iris (sect. Limniris) ser. Californicae +
species +
connate +  and distinct +
scarious +
1-2-flowered +
obscure;prominent +
indehiscent +
hardened +  and papery +
unequal +