Del Norte County Iris

Description

Iris innominata, the Del Norte County iris, is a species of iris native to southern Oregon, and California along the north coast and Klamath Ranges in Del Norte County, California. The leaves are dense and evergreen, up to 20 cm. The flower is typically deep golden yellow with darker veins, although colors may vary. The flower stems are about 12 cm and usually bear 1–2 flowers in spring. It is on the California Native Plant Society Inventory of Rare and Endangered Plants of California List 4, Limited distribution (Watch List). Iris innominata, used in gardens, does best in locations with cool, wet winters and warm, dry summers, in neutral or slightly acidic soil, with good drainage, and sun or partial shade. It is often used for hybridizing with other Iris species. Many plants sold under this name in nurseries are hybrids. Irises are perennial plants, growing from creeping rhizomes (rhizomatous irises) or, in drier climates, from bulbs (bulbous irises). They have long, erect flowering stems which may be simple or branched, solid or hollow, and flattened or have a circular cross-section. The rhizomatous species usually have 3–10 basal sword-shaped leaves growing in dense clumps. The bulbous species have cylindrical, basal leaves. Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Some authors state that the name refers to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also widely used as a common name for all Iris species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower. The often-segregated, monotypic genera Belamcanda (blackberry lily, I. domestica), Hermodactylus (snake's head iris, I. tuberosa), and Pardanthopsis (vesper iris, I. dichotoma) are currently included in Iris. Three Iris varieties are used in the Iris flower data set outlined by Ronald Fisher in his 1936 paper The use of multiple measurements in taxonomic problems as an example of linear discriminant analysis.