■ (SPEC) Iris sari Schott

1876, Botanical author Schott

Iris sari Schott ex Baker (Heinrich Wilhelm Schott, 1876, Cilicia, Karput, Amasia). Section Oncocyclus ; 4-12" (10-30 cm); Color Code-S6D. Flowers veined crimson or brownish-purple on a yellowish, creamy or greenish ground, signal patch an intense crimson or brown stain, beards yellow. Sometimes standards are bluish purple;

See below:

• * References
• * Synonyms
• * Chromosome counts
• * Variations
• * Hybrids
• * Distribution and Cultivation

---

References

Schott ex Baker, The Gardeners' Chronicle 39: 788. 1876; I. Saarii, Schott. — Rhizome short, oblique. Leaves about half a dozen in a basal tuft, linear-complicate, pale green, finally reaching a foot in length, 1/4—1/3 inch broad. Scape one-flowered, not more than 2 or 3 inches high. Spathe of two equal lanceolate valves, 3 inches deep, reaching up to the base of the limb. Ovary sessile, cylindrical, 3/4 inch long ; tube green, an inch long ; limb bright lilac, 3 inches deep, the falls ascending, rather shorter than the standards, oblong-unguiculate, 1— 1 1/4 inch broad at the middle, with a patch of strong hairs in the centre reaching a breadth of half an inch; standards incurving, round-unguiculate, 1 1/4 inch broad. Stigmas very broad, bright lilac, like the perianth-segments, 1 1/4 inch long, including the deltoid crests. Anther 1/2 inch long. A native of Persia or Armenia, have not been able to find out where the name was published, and have only just seen a specimen for the first time through the favour of Herr Leichtlin. It is a well-marked species, nearest iberica, but differing by its bright lilac flower, and ascending oblong not obovate falls, with much stronger hairs at their throat.
Krel. 1891; Van T. 1900; 1909;
https://web.archive.org/web/20220116172707/http://www.agaclar.net/galeri/showimage.php?i=43669&c=492
Curtis's Botanical Magazine 129: tab. 7904. 1903 (lupina);This very interesting new Iris was sent to Professor (Sir Michael) Foster about 1886, from the mountains a few miles south of Kharput, in Turkish Armenia, by Mrs. Barnum, of the American Mission, who also discovered the Iris, which has been named after her, as well as other novelties. It was also gathered by Sintenis, and distributed in his sets of herbarium specimens. It belongs to the section Oncocyclus, and is nearly allied to the old, well-known Iris susiana (Bot. Mag. t. 91). The Armenians call it the " Wolf's Ear," from the tawny tips of the outer segments as they emerge from the opening bud, and this suggested to Professor Foster its specific name. Our drawing was made from plants presented by him to the Royal Gardens, Kew, which flowered for the first time in June, 1887. Descr. — Rootstock fleshy, short, creeping. Leaves about six in a tuft, linear, weak, sub-erect, pale green, channelled down the face, six inches to a foot long at the flowering time. Peduncle erect, one-headed, shorter than the leaves. Spathe-valves two, lanceolate, acuminate, pale green, the outer three inches long. Perianth-tube about two inches long ; outer segments obovate-cuneate, reflexing, three inches long, marked with copious, fine, lilac-brown, anastomosing veins on a dull, yellowish-brown ground-work, and in the centre with a large pilose spot of dark brown; inner segments larger, ascending, obovate, unguiculate, without a dark spot in the centre of the blade. Styles above an inch long ; crests large, broad. Capsule oblong-trigonous, dehiscing in the upper half. Seeds large, reddish-brown, with a wrinkled testa, and a conspicuous white strophiole. — J. G. Baker.
Dykes, The Genus Iris tab. 26. 114. 1913, Description. (The form here described is perhaps the commonest; for others see Observations.) Rootstock , a compact fleshy rhizome of the usual Oncocyclus type. Leaves , about 6 to a tuft, linear, light green, rather glaucous, 9-12 inches long at flowering time. In some instances the leaves are straight, in others distinctly falcate. Stem , about 6 inches, almost entirely concealed by two sheathing leaves. Spathe valves , 3-3i in. long, pale green, scarious at very tip only, pointed, slightly ventricose and keeled, reaching considerably beyond the top of the tube. Pedicel , very short. Ovary, rounded hexagonal, almost cylindrical, with thick walls, 1 in. long. Tube , 1½ in. long. Falls , 3 in. long by I½ broad. The broadly canaliculate haft gradually widens into a lanceolate blade, with a rounded but yet pointed apex. Along the haft and the lower part of the blade the edge is merely wavy, but it then becomes serrate and at the apex is coarsely indented. The ground colour of the blade is yellow or yellowish green, marked with irregular broken brownish-red veins. In the centre there is a blotch of rich dark reddish black. Along the haft and on to the blade runs a broad diffuse beard of bright yellow hairs, flanked by yellowish hairs tipped with brown. Standards , 3 3/4 in. long by 2½ broad, connivent and folding one over the other, suborbicular with a short haft bearing a number of reddish-brown hairs. The ground colour is yellowish green, marked with abundant blotchy veins of brown red, which, especially in the upper part, almost hide the ground colour. Styles , it in. long by i broad, very convex and coming close down on to the fall, of a greenish yellow colour, veined and dotted with faint brown red. Crests , large, quadrate, with coarsely and prominently serrate margin, marked with brown-red veins. Stigma , entire. Filaments , short. Anthers , large, longer than the filaments. Pollen , yellowish white. Capsule , trigonal, ellipsoid, tapering, of the usual Oncocyclus type. Seeds , pyriform, dark reddish brown, with conspicuous cream-coloured aril. Observations. This curious Iris was first found by Theodor Kotschy in 1854 near the River Sar, in the neighbourhood of Kassan Oghlou, in Eastern Cilicia. Owing to some mistake, when I. Bismarckiana was first brought into cultivation, it was named I. Sari var. lurida, and plate 6960 in the Botanical Magazine depicts the plant under this name. In the meantime Foster received plants from Mrs Barnum from the mountains south of Kharput, which he, when they proved to be quite distinct from I. Bismarckiana, described as a new species under the name of I. lupina. The consequent confusion was not cleared up until Siebe rediscovered Kotschy's plant in the same district where it was found originally (cf. Siehe in Gard. Chron. I.e.). His article states that I. Sari' is very variable in colour and, though specimens with a bluish ground do occur, they are rare. This is significant in view of the fact that the original description gives lilac as the colour of the flowers. The commonest form has a groundwork on the falls of pale yellow, which sometimes, however, assumes a distinctly green tinge. On the standards the underlying colour varies from yellow to white or even to a lavender blue, and this is shaded and veined with lilac, purple brown or more often chestnut brown. Foster's name of I. lupina was most appropriate, for the flowers have a curious tawny grey appearance, which is set off by the red signal patch. The whole effect is perhaps more striking than beautiful, and it is a pity that the plant is so difficult to manage in our climate, where it seems impossible without elaborate care to keep it alive for more than two or three years.
The Iris Year Book 1955 Illustration facing p. 144;
Schreiner 1932 as lupina; Yr. Bk., I.S. (E.) 43. 1933;
F.C.C., Amsterdam 1893; A.M., R.H.S. 1897; shown by Wal. as Iris lupina; Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society. 21: lxxv.

---

Synonyms

Sar Iris; Iris lupina , Baker; Iris lupina, Fos.; lupinda; Iris manissadjani, Freyn.; Saari lupina, Fos.; Wolf's Fur Iris.

---

Variations

Iris sari cultivars: 'Lupina', 'Manissadjianii', 'Sari Lurida',

---

Hybrids

Iris sari crosses: 'Abou Ben Adhem', 'Dove', 'Persian Chocolate', 'Shadrach', 'Thor'

¼ Iris sari crosses: 'Leo's Magic', 'Summer Wind', 'Thormila'.

---

Distribution and Cultivation

---

Please do not enter images that are not your own without owners' permission, this is against Wiki policy

"Although the Encyclopedia is free to all, it is supported by Emembership in AIS, If you would like to help sustain this reference, for $15 you can become an Emember, click here."

Interested in Iris Species? Please visit the: Species Iris Group of North America website.

---

---

-- BobPries - 2010-02-03