| Iris damascena | |
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| Species: | Iris damascena
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| Binomial name | |
| Iris damascena | |
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None known [2] | |
Iris damascena is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Irisand in the Oncocyclus section. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from a mountain in Syria.
It is very similar in form to Iris sofarana, another Oncoyclus iris.[3]
It has a short and compact rhizome,[4][5] and 5-8 leaves,[4][5] which are curved,[6] (or falcate).[4][5] The narrow leaves,[6] can grow up to 27 cm (11 in) long and up to 1cm wide.[4]
It has a slender stem or peduncle,[4] that can grow up to between 15–30 cm (6–12 in) tall.[3][7][8]
The stem has 1 or 2 spathes (leaf of the flower bud), which are inflated, slightly pale violet-purple tinged and up to 10 cm (4 in) long.[4]
It holds one terminal (top of stem) flower, blooming between March,[5] and April.[9]
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[10] In 1977, 47 species of the irises in the Oncocyclus section were analysed,[7][11] and it was found to have a chromosome count of 2n=20.[7][8]
The Latin specific epithet damascena refers to coming from Damascus, Syria.[12][13]
In 1693, the name was used Iris damascena for a species of polyanthos,[14][15] This name was later ignored due to Linnaeus genus re-classification in 1753.[16][6]
On 23 March 1951, a specimen of the iris was collected from a mountain in Syria, it is stored at Herbarium Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques de la Ville de Genève in Switzerland.[17]
In 1957, the species and several other iris species from Syria were described by Werckmeister.[5]
It was first published and described by Paul Mouterde in Nouv. Fl. Liban & Syrie issue318 in 1966.[7][18][19]
It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life,[20] and it was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003 and then changed on 2 December 2004.[19]
It is native to temperate to Western Asia.[19]
It is found in Syria,[8][18][19] north of Damascus,[9][16][21] on Mount Jabal Qassoun,[11][5][7] (known also as Mount Qasioun).[1] Which is part of the Anti-Lebanon mountain range.[22]
It grows on the steep eastern slopes,[1] of the mountain,[21][3] on calcareous soils.[1] Growing with other low alpine vegetation and grasses.[1]
It can be found at an altitude of 1,200 m (3,900 ft) above sea level.[3]
In 1966, when first published by Mouterde, it was assessed as at risk, due to human collection of the rhizomes and the selling of the flowers beside the roadside.[1] The species was reported by Chaudhary in 1975,[4] to be in danger of extinction.[5][3] and assessed as Critically endangered in [1] In 2011, a field study was carried out and declare the species as highly endangered.[21] The Syrian government has not given the species any protected status. It's only benefiting factor was that part of the habitat of the species occurs in a military area,[1] near the 'Qassioun Republican Guards Military Base' and other military facilities, which stops civilians accessing the area.[21] The base and steepness of the habitat also stops construction or development.[1] Although in 2013, the species and Iris antilibanotica (also from Syria), and Iris westii from Lebanon, were declared 'extinct'.[23]
It prefers to grow in a sunny, well drained, rocky habitat.[1][21]
Irises can generally be propagated by division,[24] or by seed growing. Irises generally require a period of cold, then a period of warmth and heat, also they need some moisture. Some seeds need stratification, (the cold treatment), which can be carried out indoors or outdoors. Seedlings are generally potted on (or transplanted) when they have 3 leaves.[25]
I. damascena has two known cultivars; 'Magnifica' which is also known as 'I. Damascena cv. Magnifica',[7] which was registered by Howard Shockey in 1978, (it is cream, with purple marking, dark purple signal and purple beard),[26] and 'Qassioumensis'.[7]
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.[27]
