Iris elegantissima

Description

Iris iberica is a plant species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris and in the section Oncocyclus. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the Caucasus mountains of Armenia, eastern Georgia, and western Azerbaijan. It has narrow, glaucous, gray-green and sickle shaped leaves, short stem holding a single flower in late spring. Which has a pale background (white, cream or pale blue) covered with heavy veining in pale mauve, violet, dark purple, maroon or purple-brown. It has a black or dark purple signal patch and a brown or purple-brown beard. Although, it has many hybrid forms dues to its variability and has 2 known subspecies of Iris iberica subsp. elegantissima and Iris iberica subsp. lycotis. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions, as it is hardier than other Oncocyclus species. It is similar to Iris susiana, apart from its leaf and flower form.It is classed as an Mezo-xerophyte,(meaning they like intermediate dry conditions.) or xeric species (similar to Seseli grandivittatum, Thymus tiflisiensis, Scorzonera eriosperma and Tulipa eichleri). It has a slender, and compact rhizome, that is not stoloniferous, but up to 1.5 cm in diameter. They have 4–6 leaves, that are glaucous, grey-green,and falcate, (sickle shaped) or curved.They can grow up to between 7.5–15 cm (3–6 in) long, and are narrow, being between 0.2 and 0.6 cm wide. The leaves start to grow in Autumn (near to September), after a summer rest period after flowering. It has a short, slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between 15–20 cm (6–8 in) tall. The stem has a green, lanceolate, membranous, spathes (leaves of the flower bud), which are variable is size, between 3mm, to 5 cm long. The stems hold a solitary, terminal (top of stem) flower, blooming in late spring, between March and May. In the UK, it blooms later between May and June: 192  The flowers can last between 120 and 145 days before fading. The flowers are 10–15 cm (4–6 in) in diameter, they are described as big and flouncy. The very variable, bi-coloured flowers,have a white, silvery white cream,or pale bluish background,with heavily stippled, spotted or veined in pale mauve, violet, dark purple, maroon, or purple-brown.Some forms can have a lilac background.