Bukhara iris

Description

Iris bucharica (also Bukhara iris, corn leaf iris and horned iris) is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is a bulbous herbaceous perennial, from temperate Asia, within Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has long blue green leaves, many flowers in spring, in shades of yellow and white. Iris bucharica has a yellowish white bulb, about 2 cm in diameter, with thin fleshy roots. It grows 20–40 cm (7.9–15.7 in) high. The lanceolate (lance-like) leaves which are blue-green below and glossy green above, reach up to 3.5 cm (1.4 in) wide and 20 cm (7.9 in) long. They are scattered up the flower stems. Each stem produces up to seven unscented flowers in spring. They bloom in order from the top of the stem, going downwards. The perianth tube is about 4.5–5 cm (1.8–2.0 in) long. 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 flowers have white or creamy white standards with yellow falls. The falls sometimes have brown markings and a deep yellow crest. The flowers are about 2.5 in (6.4 cm) across. Pure yellow forms are occasionally wrongly labelled as I. orchioides (a different species). The stigmas are semicircular, with whitish anthers and pollen. Iris bucharica, Iris orchioides and Iris warleyensis all have cubiform seeds. Iris bucharica is native to temperate Central Asia. in north-eastern Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan around Bukhara. It is endemic to the Gissar Range, in the valleys of Surkhan-darya, Kafirnigan, Vakhsh, Ak-su and Kizyl-su rivers. It is found at 5,000–6,000 ft (1,500–1,800 m), in pebble beds and gravelly slopes of the lower mountain zone. It is commonly known as 'Bukhara iris', 'corn leaf Iris', or 'horned iris'. It is pronounced 'bukh-AR-ee-kuh' and named after the city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan. Iris bucharica was illustrated in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Tab. 7111 on 1 April 1890, and was incorrectly described by Baker as a specimen of Iris orchioides. It was then published as Iris bucharica in The Gardeners' Chronicle by Foster in 1902. Michael Foster got the bulbs from the UK bulb merchant Van Tubergen (mainly based in Harlem, Netherlands). It was also published in “Flora and Sylva” in 1905. It was then introduced into the UK in 1902.