Species Iris Group of North America

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Iris macrosiphon

Botanical Name: Iris macrosiphon (added by D. Kramb, 09-NOV-03)


Botanical Synonyms:

Iris amabilis (D. Kramb, 09-NOV-03)


Classification:

Pacific Coast Native, Californicae (D. Kramb, 09-NOV-03)


Common Names:

Ground Iris, Bowl Tube Iris (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Chromosome Count:

N/A


General Description:

6"-10" (15-25cm) tall, with fragrant cream, yellow, lavender, or blue flowers, with white signal (D. Kramb, 09-NOV-03)

Wide color spectrum: usually lavender or lilac-purple with a white signal spot, but sometimes cream, yellow or white; local populations tend to show variations of a single color pattern. (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Distinguishing Features:

Long floral tube; 1½ to 4½ inches. Tube top bowl-shaped; petals separate near bowl's rim. Spathes narrow, enclose ovary and most of tube. Individual stems or small clumps. (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Preferred Habitat:

Sunny, open woodland sites, grasslands or meadows with filtered or no shade. Replaced by other species in adjacent shaded woodland habitats. (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Hardiness:

N/A


Native Range:

USA (CA) (D. Kramb, 09-NOV-03)

Widespread in central California's coastal ranges and facing Sierra Nevada foothills; south to Mariposa and Santa Cruz counties, replaced by I. tenuissima north of the Great Central Valley. Near sea level to around 3,000 feet elevation. (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Status in the Wild:

N/A


Commercial Availability:

The record is further confused by book and magazine articles using the name macrosiphon ("large" + "tube") for misidentified plants of other long-tube species, especially I. fernaldii and I. tenuissima. And sometimes true macrosiphon is found labled with some other name, like "Iris hartwegii". In I. macrosiphon, the ovary is almost always well hidden inside the two spathes, and the petals and sepals divide close along the rim of a bowl-like swelling at the top of the floral tube. (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Sources Cited:

Information entered on 05-JAN-04 comes from the Pacific Coast Native Iris Club website. (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)


Additional Comments:

Http://www.pacificcoastiris.org/ (D. Kramb, 05-JAN-04)

Where to buy it:


Arrowhead Alpines
www.arrowheadalpines.com



Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery
www.hillkeep.ca

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