dwarf crested iris (TVA, White's Creek Small Wild Area, Plants)

dwarf crested iris

Iris cristata

Summary ⁵

Iris cristata, the Dwarf Crested Iris, is a beardless rhizomatous iris (genus Iris, subgenus Limniris), endemic to the eastern United States, south of where the Wisconsinan glaciation spread about 11,000 years ago.

Barcode data: iris cristata ⁶

The following is a representative barcode sequence, the centroid of all available sequences for this species.

Description ⁷

Rhizomes producing fleshy roots, and 2–8 cordlike branches at apex, cordlike portion 2–3 dm × 1–2 mm, gradually enlarging to 8–12 mm diam., nodes with brown, scalelike leaves and rarely roots. Stems simple, 2.5–4.5 cm. Leaves: basal 6–8, proximal 2–3 sheathing, blade light brown with darker brown line along midrib at base, falcate, scarious, distal 4–5 not sheathing, blade green or yellowish green, with few, subprominent veins, broadly ensiform, slightly falcate, to 1.5 dm × 1–2.5 cm, enlarging to 4 dm after anthesis; cauline 2–3, sheathing, proximal very similar to basal leaves, distal 1 or 2 reduced, herbaceous, blade falcate, not inflated. Inflorescence units 1–2-flowered; spathes green, sharply keeled, somewhat inflated, 2–6 cm, unequal, outer shorter than inner. Flowers: perianth blue, lilac-purple, or white; floral tube filiform, widening distally, 4–8 cm, lifting expanded portion of flower out of spathes; sepals spreading, with 3 parallel, toothed, crested ridges on white signal bordered with purple, tapering gradually into claw, 3–6 × 1.5–2.5 cm, base gradually attenuate, apex rounded, emarginate; petals spreading, same color as sepals, oblanceolate, 3–4 × 1–2 cm; ovary triangular, with shallow groove along each face, 0.6–1 cm; style 1.5 cm, crests narrowly triangular, 6–9 mm; stigmas oblong, margins entire; pedicel 0.7–1.8 cm. Capsules usually enclosed in spathes, oval, sharply triangular, each angle ridged, 1–1.5 cm. Seeds yellowish brown, 3.2–3.5 mm, smooth, with narrow, white appendage wrapped around seed, 3.4–4 mm, quickly drying upon exposure to air. 2n = 24, 32.

Diagnostic description ⁸

Flowering stems short (usually less than 15 cm) rhizomes superficial, sepals crested with a 3-ridged, toothed orange-white crest.

Ecology ⁹

Prefers mesic sites on wooded slopes with rich acid soils high in organic content. Under cultivation this species does well in moist composted humus and gravel soils.

Flower visiting insects of dwarf crested iris in illinois ¹⁰

Iris cristata (Dwarf Crested Iris)
(this observation is from Motten; insect activity is unspecified, but the bumblebee is probably sucking nectar from the flowers)

Bees (long-tongued)
Apidae (Bombini): Bombus bimaculatus (Mtt)

Sources and Credits

(c) Ryan Somma, some rights reserved (CC BY), https://www.flickr.com/photos/ideonexus/5924943023/
(c) Jerry Oldenettel, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), https://www.flickr.com/photos/jroldenettel/17340652835/
(c) Elizabeth, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-ND), https://www.flickr.com/photos/goosedancer/3490285802/
Adapted by Jonathan (JC) Carpenter from a work by (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_cristata
(c) Barcode of Life Data Systems, some rights reserved (CC BY), http://eol.org/data_objects/30736699
(c) Missouri Botanical Garden, 4344 Shaw Boulevard, St. Louis, MO, 63110 USA, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), http://eol.org/data_objects/5018549
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28999627
(c) NatureServe, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/28999630
(c) John Hilty, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), http://eol.org/data_objects/31872692

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