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Iris histrioidesSources:
The Iris by Brian Mathew 1989
Buried Treasures by Janis Ruksans 2007
Found in central-north Turkey around Amasya at about 1500m on open slopes or in sparse pine woods (Mathew)
Leaves: quadrangular, nearly absent at flowering, with only the tips showing. Later developing to 40-50cm in length and wider than those of most other species. (Mathew)
Flowers: approx. 6-7cm diameter in variable shades of blue and amount of spotting in central area of blades of falls. Ridge: rich yellow. (Mathew)
Distiguishing Features: can be distinguished from Iris reticulata by larger falls and bracts and braceoles that are papery white or only faintly tinged green (in Iris reticulata, green and rather rigid). In Iris histrioides there is a clearly defined sinus between falls and claws (in Iris histrio falls gradually merge with claw) (Ruksans)
Iris histrioidesvar.
majorMathew writes in
The Iris "there is confusion over the plant grown as var.
major". Seemingly it was first described in 1935 by a Col. Grey in the catalogue of the then Hocker Edge Nursery as having light blue flowers in January. Mathew indicates that this plant was introduced from Turkey by Van Tubergen Ltd. when it was collected in the early 20C near Amasya. In the publication "New Bulbous and Tuberous Rooted Plants" (1947) Van Tubergen's said "We distributed the iris histrioides from Merzifon as Iris histrioides major as there is also an Iris histrioides from Cilicia which produces smaller flowers possessing a more violet shade of colour". Mathew then says "It is clear from this statement that the original major distributed by Van Tubergens and by Gray was fairly typical of the plant which grows at Amasya and was not in fact large flowered, and we know it had pale blue flowers. The smaller flowered plant from Cilicia was probably a form of iris histrio since I have seen no records of iris histrioides from that region at all". Mathew then adds "To confuse matters further in the last 20 years or so a plant with very large, dark violet flowers with almost horizontal falls has been grown as major". The picture below is from Luit van Delft and shows a plant from the Connoisseur's Collection.
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'Lady Beatrix Stanley' (Iris histrioides cultivar) pale blue and heavily spotted on the falls. Said to have originated in Lady Beatrix Stanley's garden as a variant of Iris histrioides var. major. Falls. Violet- Blue 94B shading to 93B around the crest. Standards and styles 93C (Mathew)
'Angel's Tears' (iris histrioides cultivar) silky flax-blue flowers prominently flecked with inky blue. Originated as a seedling from I. histrioides var. major. Falls Violet-Blue 94B shading to 94A Standards and styles 94C (Mathew)
Iris histrioidesvar.
sophenensisWas originally described as a variety of Iris reticulata. The original was collected by a Mrs Burnham in 1884 in "hills near Kharput" near Elazig in Turkey. Some later collections had flowers of a more reddish-purple tint than the original. (Mathew)
Flowers: deep violet-blue with little veining or spotting with a yellow ridge on the falls. Segments very narrow compared with I. histrioides or I. reticulata.
Leaves: barely visible at flowering. (Mathew)
The picure is from Luit van Delft of a plant from the Connoisseur's Collection.
Mathew refers to other cultivars which may not be in cultivation now:-
'Reine Immaculata'-similar to Lady Beatrix Stanley
a range of Blom's Hybrids varying in the depth of colour
'G P Baker'
