Bulley's iris

Description

Iris bulleyana is a species in the genus Iris, also the subgenus Limniris and in the series Sibiricae. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial, from South west China, including Myanmar (or Burma) and Tibet. It has long thin green leaves, Iris bulleyana is close in form to Iris chrysographes but differs in having paler flowers. It forms thick, creeping rhizomes, that create dense tufts of plants with stems and leaves of similar length. It has linear leaves that are glossy green above but grey-green beneath, measuring 15–45 cm (6–18 inches) long and 3–10 mm wide. It has hollow, flower stems that grow up to 10–70 cm (4–27 inches) long and 4–6 mm wide, which are unbranched and have 1–2 flowers (at the terminal ends) per stem. The stem has 2 or 3 leaves and 2 or 3 spathes, which are green (with a red-brown margin) and measure 5.5–12 cm (2–5 inches) long and 0.8–1.2 cm wide. It blooms between June and July. The flowers come in a range of shades of blue. From violet, to purple, to lilac, to blue. Although there are occasionally white forms. The flowers are 5.5 cm – 8 cm (2–3 inches) in diameter. It has a perianth tube of 1–1.2 cm long. It has 3 drooping falls, that have a violet tip and a wide blade with a white or yellow patch, that has purple or blue-violet markings, stripes or veins. It also has 3 smaller, narrower, paler, lanceolate, upright standards. It has 2.5 cm long stamens and milky white anthers, with a short pedicle of less than 5 cm long, and it has a 2 cm long ovary and 3.5 cm long style branches. It develops seeds and capsules between August and October. The capsule is 3 angled, cylindric (in form), with highly visible 6-veins and measures 4–5.5 cm long and 1.5–1.8 cm wide. The seeds are roundish in shape, flat and brown. Iris bulleyana is native to temperate and tropical areas of Asia. Iris bulleyana grows in moist areas on hillsides and mountainsides, and in meadows (alpine or sub-alpine meadows,), and river flats (in similar habitats to Iris forrestii and Iris wilsonii), and beside stream sides. It is found at 2300–4300m above sea level. Iris bulleyana is found in South west China. In the provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan, Myanmar(or Burma), Tibet, and Xizang. It is found specifically on the Hengduan mountains of Tibet, also in Pudacuo National Park in south-west Yunnan.