Iris pseudocaucasica is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Scorpiris. It is a bulbousperennial from central Asia, within the Caucasus (in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia) and in Iran, Iraq and Turkey.
Description
It is not to be confused with Iris caucasica, although in the same sub-genus of iris, they are different plants. It differs from Iris caucasica by having yellowish green or blue flowers.[2]
Iris pseudocaucasica has a bulb of 1–1.5 cm diameter.[3]
It generally has 3–4 leaves,[2] when fully grown these reach a height of between 4 and 18 cm long and between 1 and 2.8 cm wide at the base of the plant,[3] but averagely, they are 1–1.5 cm wide. They are generally lanceolate shaped, channelled, glossy green above with a greyish-green below, with a white cartilaginous margin.[4][3][5]
The large leaves normally obscure the flower stem,[5] which can reach a maximum height of 6–20 cm (2.4–7.9 in) tall.[6][7]
It blooms in the UK between April and June.[8] In Armenia. it flowers from March to May and fruits from May to June.[5]
The flowers can also be described as translucent yellow or icy blue,[7][6] or creamy yellow,[4] or light bluish–violet.[5]
The flowers have a perianth tube of 3–4 cm long and bracts 4–5 cm long.[2] It has large winged standards,[8] which are about 2 cm long.[3] The pale blue forms have falls that have a yellow wavy crest.[2][7]
It has an ellipsoid capsule, (produced after flowering) which is about 3.5 cm long, producing seeds about 4 mm long.[3]
The specific epithet is derived from 'pseudo' from the Greek word meaning 'false' and 'caucasica' meaning from the Caucasus.[10]
It was first published in 'Vĕstnik Tiflisskago Botaniceskago Sada. Moniteur du Jardin Botanique de Tiflis' on pages 40–41 in 1916 by Alexander Alfonsovich Grossheim.[11][12]
Within Armenia, it is distributed in Yerevan (central part of Urts mountain range) and Meghri (Aygedzor, Vardanadzor, Gudemnis, Shvanidzor, and Nyuvadi towns) regions. Due to the loss of the irises natural habitat, which has been caused by an expansion of the local mining industry, it has become a 'threatened' plant and is becoming rarer to find.[5]
In Iran, it is found along the lakeside of the Chalus Gorge, north of Tehran, with in rock crevices,[15] and within Jahan Nama, Golestan,[16]
Only yellow-flowered forms of the species have been recorded in Turkey.[3]
Habitat
It prefers the clay,[5] stony hillsides, screes and mountain steppes. It is found at altitudes of between 600 and 3,500 m (2,000 and 11,500 ft) above sea level.[4][3]
^Wallis, Dr. & Mrs. R. (October 2009). "Iran Caspianto Kopet Dag"(PDF). agscentralsussex.plus.com (The Alpine Garden Society, Central Sussex Group). Retrieved 18 September 2014.
