Iris tridentata
{{Short description|Species of flowering plant}}
{{Speciesbox
| image = Iris tridentata image 02.jpg
| genus = Iris
| display_parents = 3
| parent = Iris ser. Tripetalae
| species = tridentata
| authority = Pursh
| synonyms = {{Species list|Iris falconeriana |Penny ex Loudon
|Iris tripetala|Walter [Illegitimate]
|Limniris tridentata|(Pursh) Rodion.
|Xyridion tridentatum|(Pursh) Klatt}}
}}
Iris tridentata is a species of Iris belonging to the subgenus Limniris and the series Tripetalae. A rhizomatous perennial native to the Southeastern United States, it features a cord-like rhizome, bright green leaves, long stem. In spring, it produces fragrant flowers in shades of blue.
Description
File:Iris tridentata image 03.jpg
Iris tridentata has unique flower and growth habit features compared to other irises, including the other two species within Iris series Tripetalae.{{cite web | title=FNA Vol. 26 Page 373, 375, 380 | url=http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101720 |publisher=efloras.org |access-date=16 November 2014}}
The iris rhizome has been noted by W. R. Dykes (1913) as "almost stoloniferous", by J. K. Small (1933), "the cord-like rootstocks are peculiar", and by R. K. Godfrey and J. W. Wooton (1979), "clothed with coarse, strongly many-ribbed, brown, overlapping scales". The slender rhizomes, branch very easily creating large spreading colonies.{{cite web |title=Iris tridentata: Savannah Iris |url=http://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/beauty/iris/Blue_Flag/iris_tridentata.shtml |publisher=fs.fed.us |access-date=16 November 2014}}{{cite web|title=The Planzengattung Iris |url=http://www.orchideenkultur.net/index.php?topic=28569.30 |publisher=orchideenkultur.net |access-date=16 November 2014}} They are generally 1.5–2 cm in diameter with coarse, strongly ribbed, brown, scale-like leaves. It roots at the nodes of the rhizomes.
The iris grows to a height of between 30 and 70 cm tall,{{cite web |title=Savannah Iris – south carolina |url=http://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/Plant.aspx?id=3113 |publisher=florida.plantatlas.usf.edu |access-date=16 November 2014}} (12" to 28").{{cite web| first=D. |last=Kramb | date=20 April 2006 |title=Iris tridentata |url=http://www.signa.org/index.pl?Iris-tridentata |publisher=signa.org (Species Iris Group of North America)| access-date=16 November 2014}} The flowering stalk (stem) is generally taller than the surrounding leaves, and 3–7 cm in diameter. It has between 1 and 3 branches (normally one) holding one flower.
In late spring, the new bright green leaves will grow and lengthen, from the base of the plant, and grow to between 30 and 50 cm long, or (a foot to 18 in). They occasionally have red-brown edge, upright (or sword-like) in shape, and 1.5 to 2.3 cm wide. The leaves can encircle the stem of the plant.
It has fragrant flowers in spring, between May and June.{{cite web |first=Anne |last=Blanco White |date=Autumn 2009 |title=The Group for Beardless Irises, Issue No 6 |url=http://www.beardlessiris.org/reviews/r2009.pdf |page=12 | publisher= beardlessiris.org |access-date=19 November 2014}} The flowers come in a range of blue shades. From violet, violet-blue, purple, purple-blue, and blue. They also have a darker purple veining and a yellow-white signal. Very similar to Iris virginica, it has very small bristle free, standards (about 1.5 cm long). The sepals are about {{convert|7–8|cm|in|abbr=on}} long. The perianth tube is about 2–2.5 cm long.
It has a seed capsule (after flowering) between August and October. The capsule is globule to oblong shaped, (about 2.5–4 × 2 cm). Inside are dark red-brown semi-circular, flattened seeds (about 6-8mm wide). The seeds are very similar to Louisiana irises or Iris virginica.
=Biochemistry=
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes. This can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.{{cite book | first= Claire | last=Austin | title= Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia | publisher= Timber Press, Incorporated | isbn = 978-0881927306 | year = 2005 | ol = OL8176432M | page=}}
It has a chromosome count: 2n=40.{{cite journal |last1=Goldblatt |first1=P |last2=Takei |first2=M. |title=Chromosome cytology of Iridaceae: Patterns of variation, determination of ancestral base numbers, and modes of karyotype change| year=1997 |publisher=Ann Missouri Bot Gard}}{{cite web |first=Norlan C. |last=Henderson |title=Iris tridentata Pursh |url=http://intermountainbiota.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=87890 |publisher=intermountainbiota.org |access-date=16 November 2014}}
Taxonomy
It has the common name of Savannah Iris,{{cite web |title=Savanna iris |url=http://explorer.natureserve.org/servlet/NatureServe?searchCommunityUid=ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.732800 |publisher= explorer.natureserve.org |access-date=16 November 2014}}{{cite web |title=Iris tridentata Pursh |url=http://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=IRTR |publisher=plants.usda.gov |access-date=16 November 2014}}Tina M. Samuels {{Google books|A Georgia Native Plant Guide|or8aLEAqHiIC|page=88}} or Bay Blue-flag Iris,{{cite web |title=Iris (Iridaceae modern phylogenetic circumscription) – index of taxa |url=http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/herbarium/cat/catindices.asp?genus=Iris&FamSys=A |publisher=flmnh.ufl.edu |access-date=16 November 2014}}{{cite web |title=Iris tridentata |url=http://www.namethatplant.net/plantdetail.shtml?plant=1965 |publisher=namethatplant.net |access-date=16 November 2014}} Note, normally Iris versicolor is commonly called 'Blue flag iris'.{{cite web |title=Carolina Bay Field Trip |first=Carl W. |last=Cole |date=28 September 2013 |
url=http://coastalmasternaturalists.org/all/carolina-bay-field-trip-carl-w-cole/ |publisher=coastalmasternaturalists.org |access-date=16 November 2014}} and occasionally Purple Flag.Mary A. Hood {{Google books|The Strangler Fig and Other Tales: Field Notes of a Conservationist |PzV6A_xp_hgC|page=167}}{{cite web |title=IRIDACEAE (Iris) – Wildflowers of the Escambia |url=http://wildflowers.jdcc.edu/Iridaceae.html |publisher=wildflowers.jdcc.edu |access-date=16 November 2014}} Note, Iris germanica can also be called 'Purple Flag'.
It was originally called Iris tripetala by Thomas Walter in Flor. Cab. 66. in 1788, but the specific name 'tripetala' had to be later rejected because it had already been used by Carl Linnaeus the Younger (son of Carl Linnaeus), for what later became Moraea tripetala (L.f.) Ker Gawler.{{cite web |title=(SPEC) Iris tridentata Pursh. |url=http://wiki.irises.org/bin/view/Spec/SpecTridentata |publisher=wiki.irises.org American Iris Society|access-date=16 November 2014}}
'Tridentata' means three toothed iris in Latin.{{cite web |title=Iris tridentata Prush. (Three toothed iris) |url=http://facstaff.hsc.unt.edu/rbarton/Iris/tripets/I_trident.html |publisher=facstaff.hsc.unt.edu |access-date=16 November 2014}}Robert Sweet and Edwin Dalton Smith {{Google books|The British flower garden: containing coloured figures & descriptions of the ornamental & curious hardy herbaceous plants (1838)|qFwCAAAAYAAJ|}}
It was first published by Pursh in 'Flora Americae Septentrionalis' (translated as Systematic Arrangement and Description of the Plants of North America) in December 1813.{{cite web| title=Iridaceae Iris tridentata Pursh | url=http://www.ipni.org/ipni/idPlantNameSearch.do?id=439203-1 | publisher=ipni.org | access-date=16 November 2014}}
Native
Iris tridentata is found in Southeastern United States, in regions that have rivers that drain into the Gulf of Mexico. More specifically; Florida,{{cite web |title=Panhandle Wildflowers |date=22 May 2012 |url=http://www.spacecoastwildflowers.com/2012/05/panhandle-wildflowers-may-12-14-2012.html |publisher=spacecoastwildflowers.com |access-date=16 November 2014}}Daniel F. Austin {{Google books|Florida Ethnobotany|7qgPCEiI4WMC|page=68}} (Escambia County Palm Beach,{{cite web |title=Plant List |url=http://www.palmbeachpreservation.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=pages.plantlist&x=1001947 |publisher= palmbeachpreservation.org |access-date=16 November 2014}} Duvall County, and Wakulla County), North Carolina, South Carolina (Clarksville, Calhoun County, and Carolina Bays,{{cite web|first=A. W. |last=Cheesman |title=Forms of organic phosphorus in wetland soils |year=2014 |publisher=Supplement of Biogeosciences Discuss |url=http://www.biogeosciences-discuss.net/11/8569/2014/bgd-11-8569-2014-supplement.pdf |access-date=16 November 2014}}), Tennessee, Georgia, (Appling County), Alabama and Louisiana (Johnson Bayou).
It prefers the habitat of wetlands, wet savannahs, damp meadows, damp ditches, pine flatwoods, swamps (in Tennessee), bogs (in Florida), and beside the margins of pineland pools or small ponds and streams.
Cultivation
It is hardy to USDA Zone 5 to 8.
It can grow in part-shaded places, with acidic soils within gardens.{{cite web |first=Daniel B. |last=Ward |title=KEYS TO THE FLORA OF FLORIDA – 28, IRIS (IRIDACEAE) |url=http://www.phytologia.org/uploads/2/3/4/2/23422706/932231-240wardirisesflorida.pdf |publisher=Phytologia (Department of Botany, University of Florida) |date=August 2011 |access-date=17 November 2014}} It will grow well, when planted in a butterfly garden. It can also be classed as a bog garden plant, tolerating waterside edges.
During the winter period, depending on the severity of the winter, the leaves generally die, to re-grow next spring. When, new plants are planted, they take a year to settle in before flowering.
They can be grown in large pots or containers. It is rare in cultivation in the UK,{{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/48 48] |isbn=0715305395 }} as it is not very hardy.{{cite book |last1=Cassidy |first1=George E.| last2=Linnegar | first2=Sidney | date=1987 |edition=Revised | title= Growing Irises |location=Bromley | publisher=Christopher Helm | page=146 | isbn=0-88192-089-4}}
It is mentioned in 'A Fifth Checklist of Tennessee Vascular Plants'.{{Google books|xh-NE2dRdNsC|A Fifth Checklist of Tennessee Vascular Plants|page=16}}
Specimens are found in Florida Museum of Natural History.
References
{{Reflist|25em}}
Sources
- Albert E. Radford, Harry E. Ahles, C. Ritchie Bell, Manual of the Vascular Flora of the Carolinas, 1964, The University of North Carolina Press.
External links
- {{Commons category-inline|Iris tridentata}}
- [http://www.pbase.com/image/79651323 Image of Tridentata ]
- {{Wikispecies-inline|Iris tridentata}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15572631}}
Category:Flora of the Southeastern United States
Category:Plants described in 1813