Iris pontica

It is known as the smallest Spuria iris.{{cite web |title=Irises section Ksiridion or Spur stunted Irises |url=http://click-art.ru/english/articles.php?id=1738 |publisher=click-art.ru |access-date=11 February 2015}} It is related to Iris sintenisii and Iris graminea but it is very distinct from them.{{cite web |first=Alain |last=Franco |title=(SPEC) Iris pontica Zapalowicz|date=24 December 2014 |url=http://wiki.irises.org/bin/view/Spec/SpecPontica |publisher=wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society)| access-date=14 January 2015}}

It has short, thick, woody, branching rhizomes{{cite web |title=SCIENTIFIC REPORTS Samara Bend. 2007 – T. 16, № 3 (21). – S. 518–531. © 2007 EN Mammoth * COLLECTION IRIS natural flora, Introdutciruemyh in the Botanical Garden Samara State University |year=2007 |url=http://www.ssc.smr.ru/media/journals/samluka/2007/16_3_10.pdf |publisher=ssc.smr.ru (Samara State University) |access-date=11 February 2015}}{{cite web |title=Pontic iris Iris pontica Zapał. (I. humilis M.Bieb. 1808, non Georgi, 1775, I. marschalliana Bobrov) |url=http://redbook-ua.org/ru/item/iris-pontica-zapa/ |publisher=redbook-ua.org |access-date=20 February 2015}}{{cite web |title=Chapter II iris clump and other (part3) |url=http://irisbotanique.over-blog.com/article-chapitre-ii-iris-a-touffe-et-autre-partie3-106518511.html |publisher=irisbotanique.over-blog.com |access-date=20 February 2015}} that measure 0.4–1.0 cm in diameter. They normally grown at 3–5 cm deep in the soil.

The branching and creeping habit creates tufts of plants.{{cite web |title=Iris pontica |url=http://encyclopaedia.alpinegardensociety.net/plants/Iris/pontica |publisher=alpinegardensociety.net |access-date=20 February 2015}}

It has foliage which is similar in form to Iris graminea.{{cite web |first=William |last=Dykes |author-link=William Rickatson Dykes |title=Handbook of Garden Irises |year=2009 |url=http://www.beardlessiris.org/reviews/handbook%20of%20garden%20irises%20-%20dykes.pdf |publisher=beardlessiris.org (The Group for Beardless Irises) |access-date=1 November 2014}} It has 2–5 basal leaves{{cite web|first=V.L. | last=Komarov | year=1935 | title=Akademiya Nauk SSSR (FLORA of the U.S.S.R.) Vol. IV | url=https://archive.org/stream/floraofussr04bota/floraofussr04bota_djvu.txt | access-date=9 October 2014}}{{cite web |title=Flora database |url=http://flora.adatbank.transindex.ro/print.php?fid=20 |publisher=flora.adatbank.transindex.ro |access-date=20 February 2015}} that are narrow, linear, lanceolate, slightly glaucous and grass-like. They grow up to {{convert|10|-|45|cm|0|abbr=on}} long and 2–5 mm wide.Thomas Gaskell Tutin (Editor){{Google books| v11xJgWbUDcC|Flora Europaea, Volume 5 (1980)|page=PA89}}{{cite journal |last=Irimia |first=Irina |last2=Manzu |first2=Ciprian |date=2013 |title=Iris pontica Zapala. In Moldova's Flora (Romania) |url=http://www.bio.uaic.ro/publicatii/anale_vegetala/issue/2013F1/05-2013F1.pdf |journal=Scientific Annals of Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi |volume=59 |issue=1 |pages=45–51 |access-date=20 February 2015}} The leaves can be 3 times as long as the stem.{{cite book |last=Stebbings |first=Geoff |year=1997|title=The Gardener's Guide to Growing Irises |url=https://archive.org/details/gardenersguideto00steb|url-access=registration |location=Newton Abbot |publisher=David and Charles |page=[https://archive.org/details/gardenersguideto00steb/page/61 61] |isbn=0715305395 }}{{cite book | first= Claire | last=Austin | title= Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia | publisher= Timber Press, Incorporated | isbn = 978-0881927306 | year = 2005 | ol = OL8176432M }} They have prominent ribs or veining.

It has very short stem, 1–4 cm long. In total, with the flower, peduncle and stem, the plant can reach up to {{convert|10|cm|0|abbr=on}} tall.{{cite web |title=Iris summary |date=14 April 2014 |url=http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/files/Iris/Iris_Summary.pdf |publisher=pacificbulbsociety.org |access-date=23 November 2014}}Stuart Max Walters (Editors) {{Google books|1dd5M-ToXAcC|The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification (2003) |page=348}}{{cite book |last1=Cassidy |first1=George E.| last2=Linnegar | first2=Sidney | date=1987 |edition=Revised | title= Growing Irises |location=Bromley | publisher=Christopher Helm | page=141 | isbn=0-88192-089-4}}

The stems or peduncle hold 1 (or 2 rarely) terminal (top of stem) flowers, in late spring, or early summer, between April and June.{{cite web |title=Pontic Iris (Iris pontica, Iridaceae) |date=16 June 2009 |url=http://molbiol.ru/forums/lofiversion/index.php/t346504.html |publisher=molbiol.ru |access-date=20 February 2015}}

The stems have 2 green, lanceolate, membranous spathes (leaves of the flower bud), that are 40–70 mm long.

The flowers have a slight scent,{{cite web |title=propects of hybridization |url=http://www.rfc-online.ru/?page=47&art=66 |publisher=rfc-online.ru |access-date=20 February 2015}} which is rare for most spuria irises, and they can be up {{convert|5|-|7|cm|0|abbr=on}} in diameter, and come in shades of violet-blue, violet, purple, or purple-reddish.

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 sub-orbicular or obovate. They have a yellow, yellow-greenish or white centre patch that is veined with violet, reddish-brown or brown. They have very narrow dark purple claws (section closest to the stem) measuring up to 45–55 mm long and 15–18 mm wide. The single coloured (violet-blue to blue) standards are oblanceolate and unguiculate (clawed shaped). They also have a dark purple claws measuring 35–50 mm long and 8–12 mm wide.

It has a long perianth tube, but it is difficult to measure because of the slender, beaked ovary. It is estimated to be between 2 and 5 cm long. It has a bronze-purple or purple carinate (ridged), recurved (up turned at the front edge) style branch, which has two violet-blue teeth. It also has a 2-lobed stigma, yellow filaments, azure anthers and cylindrical ovary.

After the iris has flowered, it produces an ellipsoid seed capsule, 1.5–2.5 cm long, with 6 ridges, between May and August. Inside the capsule are reddish brown to brown pyriform (pear-shaped) or globose seeds, which have a papery testa (coating).

As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.

It has a chromosome count of 2n=72.{{cite web |first=Gregor |last=Stolley |title=The genus Iris in Germany |url=http://offene-naturfuehrer.de/web/Die_Gattung_Iris_in_Deutschland_(Gregor_Stolley) |publisher=offene-naturfuehrer.de |access-date=20 February 2015}}

The Latin specific epithet pontica refers to Pontiac or the Black Sea.{{cite web| first=William | last=Dykes |title=Dykes on Iris| url=http://www.beardlessiris.org/reviews/dykes%20on%20irises%20-%20part1.pdf |publisher=beardlessiris.org (The Group for Beardless Irises) | access-date=21 November 2014}}Archibald William Smith {{google books|ahNMkgoNJ7IC|A Gardener's Handbook of Plant Names: Their Meanings and Origins|page=280}} Normally, pontica refers to the Turkish Pontus mountain range or the classical region known as 'Pontus' in North eastern Turkey, (such as Artemisia pontica), but the Black Sea was once known as Pontus Euxinus.

It has the common names of Pontic iris.{{cite web |title=The exhibition "Iris Russia" |url=http://flower-iris.ru/en/knigi-pro-iridariy/zaglyanut-v-knigu/66/ |publisher=flower-iris.ru |access-date=20 February 2015}}{{cite web |title=Iris Pontic |url=http://www.plantarium.ru/page/view/item/20795.html |publisher=plantarium.ru |access-date=20 February 2015}} It is also rarely called Iris Black Sea.

Although, generally Iris lazica has the common name of Black Sea Iris.

It was originally found in the Caucasus and called Iris humilis by Friedrich August Marschall von Bieberstein in Flor. Taur. Caucas. Vol.1 on page 33 in 1808.

It was again published by Bieberstein in Cent. Pl. Rar. Vol.1: tab. 31 in 1810, but in the 1960s, Georgi Rodionenko (a Russian botanist), found that a dwarf yellow bearded iris in the section Psammiris was called Iris humilis (by Georgi) and it was published earlier in 1775.{{cite web |title=Irises Psammiris (Iris) |url=http://flower.onego.ru/other/iris/iris_hum.html |publisher=flower.onego.ru |access-date=20 February 2015}} It was then found that Hugo Zapałowicz had published the iris in 'Conspectus florae Galiciae criticus' (Consp. Fl. Gallic. Crit.) Vol.1 on page 191 in 1906 as Iris pontica.{{cite web |title=Iris pontica Zapal., Consp. Fl. Gallic. Crit. 1: 191 (1906). |url=http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/namedetail.do?name_id=322246 |publisher=kew.org |access-date=14 January 2015}}{{GRIN | accessdate= 20 February 2015}} So Iris pontica is used as the correct name and Iris humils is classified as a synonym.

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003.

Iris pontica is native to eastern regions of Europe and Russia.

It is found in eastern Europe within Moldova,{{cite web |first=Alexandru |last=Badarau |title=Iris pontica Zapal |url= http://www.floraofromania.transsilvanica.net/flora%20of%20romania/IJ/Copy%20(16)%20of%20species.htm |publisher=floraofromania.transsilvanica.net |access-date=20 February 2015}} Romania, Ukraine, and north eastern Turkey.

It is also in the Caucasus region, part of the Russian Federation or USSR.

As recently as 2013, the species was first discovered in the forest-steppe area of Moldavia.

Iris pontica grows on dry sunny grasslands and meadows, of steppes, and on limestone, chalky and granite mountain slopes. Along the edges of ravines.

It can also be found in thickets of shrubs and at the edges of forests.

Sometimes, it is difficult to spot due to the flowers being hidden by the leaves.

Iris pontica is listed as 'Vulnerable' in various Red Book of vascular plants in the Stavropol Territory in USSR, and also in Ukraine (since 1980). In Romania, it is listed as 'critically endangered'. It has been listed as endangered category in Moldova (since 1980).

It has been threatened due to the flowers being collected for bouquets and grazing by farm animals.

In 2009, a national Nature park was created in Ukraine. This is to protect several endemics that are listed in the Red Data Book. Including Iris pontica, Stipa asperella, Gymnospermium odessanum, Dianthus hypanicus, Moehringia hypanica and Silene hypanica.{{ cite web |title=Excursion 1: Rocky vegetation in National Nature Park 'Buz'ky Gard' |url=http://www.botanik.uni-greifswald.de/646.html |publisher=botanik.uni-greifswald.de |access-date=20 February 2015}}

It is hardy to European Zone H2.

It is hardy enough to be grown in Moscow, Saint Petersburg and Stavropol in Russia. It has grown well for up to 12 years in St Petersburg Botanical Garden.

It prefers to grow in soils that contain limestone. But it is tolerant of other soils including rich clay loams, neutral dry soils, or a 'peat bed' (with mainly leafmold and rotting wood).

It prefers full sun or partial shade. It is known as a heliophytic species.

It can be grown in the rock garden or in an alpine house.

It can also be grown in a contained or pot.

It is rarely seen in the UK.

It can also be propagated by division or by seed growing.

It is thought that it is propagated by ants. The flowers produce nectar droplets at the base of tepals, which attracts the ants.

{{Reflist}}

• Czerepanov, S. K. 1995. Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR).
• Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 115–116.
• Tutin, T. G. et al., eds. 1964–1980. Flora europaea.

• {{Commons category-inline|Iris pontica}}
• [http://www.malisano.it/flora/album/slides/iris%20pontica.html Malisano.it: Image of Iris pontica]
• {{Wikispecies-inline|Iris pontica}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q3154436}}

pontica

Category:Flora of Eastern Europe

Category:Flora of the Caucasus

Category:Flora of Russia

Category:Flora of Turkey

Category:Garden plants of Europe

Category:Plants described in 1906

Category:Flora of Moldova

Category:Flora of Romania

Category:Flora of Ukraine