Iris kirkwoodiae (or Iris kirkwoodii) 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 Syria and Turkey. It has white or pale greenish flowers, heavily covered with dark purple veins or dots, deep purple round signal and a beard of long brown/purple hairs. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
The forms of Iris kirkwoodiae are between Iris gatesii and the also dark-veined Iris sofarana.[1] [2] It is also very similar in form to Iris susiana.[3]
It has a stout and compact rhizome,[1] which is stoloniferous and between 1cm-2cmcm (00inches-01inchescm) long, underneath the rhizome are long secondary roots, which help feed the plant mineral salts from the soil.[4]
It has 6-7 leaves, which grow up 30cm (10inches) tall and between 0.5cm-2cmcm (00.2inches-01inchescm) wide,[1] [4] They are falcate,[1] or sickle shaped.[4]
It is tall,[5] growing up to between 30cm-75cmcm (10inches-30inchescm) tall.[2] [6]
It blooms between April and May,[1] [4] with large,[4] [2] [7] sphere-like flowers.[5] It was determined that the plants found in Maras, Turkey seem to have the largest flowered forms.[1] It has a faint pleasant scent.[4]
The flowers are between 13cm-18cmcm (05inches-07inchescm) in diameter,[1] [4] and come in shades of beige,[4] white or pale greenish ground,[2] [6] [8] which is covered with violet,[2] or dark purple veins and spots.[1] [9]
Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals (or tepals), known as the 'standards'.[10] The standards are generally paler than the falls.[1] The standards are 7cm-10.5cmcm (03inches-04.1inchescm) long and are 6cm-8cmcm (02inches-03inchescm) wide. The deflexed falls,[2] have a deep purple round or obovate signal patch,[1] [6] and in the centre of the fall, is a sparse,[1] purple or brownish-purple beard.[8] [6] Occasionally forms have a red-brown or yellow beard.[1]
It has style arms which have erect or reflexed lobes.[1]
After it has flowered, it produces a seed capsule that is about 9cm (04inches) long.[1]
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[10] It was counted as 2n=20,[4] [8] by Avishai and Zohary in 1977.[5]
It is known as Maras kurtkulağı in Turkish.[9] [11] and it is written in Hebrew as איריס קירקווד .[12]
Specimens of the iris were collected by E. K. Balls and also by S. Albury, M. Cheese, and J. Watson in 1966, from Bishmishly, Northern Syria and Amanus Mountains, Turkey.[6] It was then originally described and published as Iris kirkwoodii in 'Botaniska Notiser', Vol.125 Issue 4 on page 499 in 1972.[6] [13]
The specific epithet kirkwoodii, refers to Mrs Grace Kirkwood. A botanist along with Shaukat A. Chaudhary and Carolyne Weymouth first published and described other 'Section Oncocyclus' irises Iris assadiana and Iris swensoniana. With the standard form of G.Kirkw.[14] It was later published in Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1984). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 8: 381–450. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.[6]
The spelling of the iris was corrected in accordance with Melbourne ICN Art. 60.12 and Rec. 60C.1(b) in 2011 to Iris kirkwoodiae, because Grace Kirkwood was a woman but much of the older published literature has the old spelling as I. Kirkwoodii.[6] [13] [15]
Iris kirkwoodiae was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, then updated 21 May 2013. Although Iris kirkwoodiiis listed in the RHS Plant Finder 2017 and it is a tentatively accepted name.[16]
In February 2016, several 'Section Oncocyclus' irises Iris paradoxa, Iris iberica, Iris barnumiae, I. kirkwoodiae, Iris sofarana were resolved as monophyletic.[5]
It has 2 synonyms that are often called subspecies of Iris kirkwoodiae; Iris kirkwoodiae ssp. calcarea,[5] [17] [18] (or Iris calcerea,[19]) and Iris kirkwoodiae ssp. macrotepala.[4] Iris kirkwoodiae ssp. macrotepala is sometimes referred to as a variety, such as Iris kirkwoodiae var. macrotepala. Having longer leaves and slightly different flowers,[1] [8] it was also published in 1976 in 'Bot. Not.' Vol.128:[6]
Iris kirkwoodii is native to temperate areas of western Asia.[13]
It is found in Syria,[5] [9] [13] (near Aleppo,[7] [2] Bismishly and el Bara,[1]) Turkey,[4] [20] (within the districts of Maras,[9] [21] Gazintep and Hatay,[1] [9]) and Lebanon.[13]
It grows on the limestone rocks,[2] [7] and stones,[1] and between cultivated fields.[2] It is normally found at 750– above sea level.[1]
The plant is considered 'rare,[4] as its natural habitat on Mount Ahır is threatened with destruction, due to the construction of houses and associated effects, road construction and the alteration to vineyards and gardens.[9]
It likes to grow in rocky soils, which stay dry in summer.[4]
Iris kirkwoodii has several known crosses, such as: 'Code Of Silence', 'Delicate Embroidery', 'Diamond Tiara',[22] 'Engraved Invitation' (I. calcarea x I. yebrudii v. edgecombii),[23] 'Known Only To Him', 'Prim And Proper'.[6]
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves), if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction.[24]