Iris hermona
| Iris hermona | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| (unranked): | Angiosperms |
| (unranked): | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Subfamily: | Iridoideae |
| Tribe: | Irideae |
| Genus: | Iris |
| Subgenus: | Iris |
| Species: | Iris hermona |
| Binomial name | |
|
Iris hermona Dinsm. |
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| Synonyms | |
|
None known |
|
None known
Iris hermona (Golan Iris) is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Iris, and in the Oncocyclus section. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the pastures and meadows of the Golan Heights in Israel and Syria. It has linear, upright leaves, tall slender stem holding a bi-coloured flower, having a pale lilac, cream-yellow, light tan, or white background, which is then covered in purple brown, or purple, or purple-pink veining, spots or speckling. It has a round purple-brown or almost black signal patch, and a sparse purple brown or almost black beard. It is rarely cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it needs very dry conditions during the summer.
It is a geophyte, with a stout compact rhizome. Which separates it from Iris bismarckiana (another Oncocyclus Iris), with a similar flower form and other morphological characters, but which has a stoloniferous rhizome.
It has 9 leaves, which are linear, straight and erect. Compared to Iris westii (another Oncocyclus Iris), which are short and curved. The leaves can grow up to between 30 cm (12 in) long and 1.8 cm wide.
It has a slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between 30–50 cm (12–20 in) tall.
The stems hold terminal (top of stem) flowers, blooming early in the season, between March and April, or between April to May (in the UK).
The flowers are between 10–18 cm (4–7 in) in diameter, they are considered to be the largest single flower in Israel. They are bi-coloured, and are pale lilac, creamy, cream-yellow, light tan, or white background. They are then covered in purple brown, or purple, or purple-pink, veining, spots or speckling.
Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals (or tepals), known as the 'standards'. The falls are obovate and very recurved, and they measure 6.5–8.5 cm (3–3 in) long and 4.5–6.5 cm (2–3 in) wide. The colour and thickness of the veining or speckling can vary. In the centre of the petal is a signal patch, which is orbicular (round), purple-brown, or almost black, and 1.2 cm long and 1.5 cm wide. Also in the middle of the falls, a row of short hairs called the 'beard', which is sparse and has purple brown, or almost black hairs. The standards are sub-orbicular and they measure 6.4–8.5 cm (3–3 in) long and 5.5–7.5 cm (2–3 in) wide. They are paler than the falls.
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Wikipedia