Iris vartanii

Description

Iris vartanii is a species in the genus Iris. It is also part of the sub-genus Hermodactyloides and Section Reticulatae. It is a bulbous perennial. It was once though to be part of the Iris sub-genus Xiphium. It is sometimes referred to as 'Vartanni Iris', or 'Iris vartani'. It was first described in 1885 in Gardeners' Chronicle, and an illustration (No.6942) was published in Curtis's Botanical Magazine two years later. It was named by Sir Michael Foster after Dr. Kaloost Vartan from Nazareth. Who discovered the iris while working in Palestine in the foothills around Nazareth, and sent the specimen to Foster for classification. It was originally described as brown in colour, presumably due to deterioration in transportation.