Iris pallida

Iris pallida
Iris pallida ssp. pseudopallida
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae
(unranked): Angiosperms
(unranked): Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Iridaceae
Subfamily: Iridoideae
Tribe: Irideae
Genus: Iris
Subgenus: Iris
Species: I. pallida
Binomial name
Iris pallida
Lam.
Synonyms
  • Iris × australis var. mandraliscae (Tod.) Nyman
  • Iris × australis var. tinaei (Tod.) Nyman
  • Iris desertorum Balb. [Illegitimate]
  • Iris fulgida Berg
  • Iris × germanica subsp. pallida (Lam.) O.Bolòs & Vigo
  • Iris glauca Salisb.
  • Iris gloriosa Reider ex Berg
  • Iris hortensis Tausch
  • Iris mandraliscae Tod.
  • Iris marchesettii Pamp.
  • Iris moggridgei Baker
  • Iris odoratissima Jacq.
  • Iris pallida subsp. mandraliscae (Tod.) K.Richt.
  • Iris pallida var. odoratissima (Jacq.) Nyman
  • Iris pallida subsp. pallida (unknown)
  • Iris pallida var. rosea Prodán
  • Iris pallida subsp. sicula (Tod.) K.Richt.
  • Iris pallida subsp. tinaei (Tod.) K.Richt.
  • Iris pallidecaerulaea Pers.
  • Iris picta Spreng. [Illegitimate]
  • Iris plicata Lam.
  • Iris propendens Lange
  • Iris sicula Tod.
  • Iris swertii Lam.
  • Iris tinaei Tod.[1]

Iris pallida (Dalmatian iris or Sweet iris) is a hardy flowering perennial plant of the genus Iris, family Iridaceae. It is native to the Dalmatian coast (Croatia) but widely naturalised elsewhere. It is a member of the subgenus iris, meaning that it is a bearded iris, and grows from a rhizome.

Description

This iris prefers rocky places in the mediterranean and submediterranean zone and reaches sometimes montane regions at its southern range in Montenegro. It grows to a stem height of 50–80 cm (20–31 in). The leaves are bluish-green in color, and sword-shaped, 40–50 cm (16–20 in) in length, and 2.5–3 cm (0.98–1.18 in) in width. The inflorescence, produced in May/June, is fan-shaped and contains two or three flowers which are usually pale purplish to whitish.

Cultivation

It is cultivated as a garden plant, and commercially for extraction of essential oils from its rhizome (orris root).

Subspecies

Three subspecies of Iris pallida s.l. are recognised by some authors as species: Iris pallida ssp. cengialti,[1] (with deep purplish flowers) from Slovenia and adjacent Italy, Iris pallida ssp.illyrica,[1] from the North Dalmatian coast, and Iris pallida ssp. pseudopallida from the South Dalmatian coast. The newly described Orjen Iris (I. orjenii) has white flowers.

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Iris pallida Lam. is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). 23 March 2013. Retrieved 18 March 2015.