| Iris kobayashii | |
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| Species: | I. kobayashii
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| Iris kobayashii | |
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none known[1] | |
Iris kobayashii is a beardless iris in the genus Iris, in the subgenus Limniris and in the Tenuifoliae series of the species. It is a rhizomatous herbaceous perennial.
It is written as 矮鸢尾 in Chinese script and known as ai yuan wei in China.[2][3]
It has the common name of Dwarf Iris,[4][5][6] or Tiny Iris.[3] Note, that the chinese small iris is Iris lactea .
The Latin specific epithet kobayashii refers to plant collector 'M. Kobayashi'.[7]
It was published and described by M. Kitagawa in The Journal of Japanese Botany ix. Pages246-250 in 1933.[8]
The British Iris Society's A guide to Species Irises, 1997[9]
It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003.[3]
In Liaoning, China, it was listed as an endemic vascular species, along with Acontium faurieri]], Artemisia chienshanica, Betula ceratoptera, Caragana litwiniwii, Iris minutoaurea, Phragmites hirsuta and others.[10] need to add to Iris minutoaurea
It is known as an endangered species.[11] In 2007, it was designated by IUCN Endangered Red list as Critically Endangered.[5] In 2012, it is still listed as Critically Endangered.[6]
It is not common in cultivation in the UK. It prefers to grow in sandy soils It needs to be kept dry during winter, needing the protection of bulb frames, only needs water during the growing season.[12]
Iris kobayashii has short, tough, woody-like, rhizomes.[11][9] With strong flesh roots underneath.[9] It has yellowish brown sheaths (to the leaves), which are the remains of last seasons growths.[11]
It has linear, slightly twisted (spiral-like), leaves, that are 10–20 cm (4–8 in) long and 2-3mm wide.[11][9] They have pointed ends.[9]
It has short flowering stems, that grows up to between 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long.[11][13] Sometimes, the stems do not emerge from below ground.[11][9]
It has 2 or 3, green, lanceolate, between 6–8 cm (2–3 in) long and 8-10mm wide, large spathes (leaves of the flower bud).[11][9]
The stems hold 1 or 2 terminal (top of stem) flowers, blooming in May.[11]
The small flowers are 3–5 cm (1–2 in) in diameter, are purple or blue and yellow, with markings of opposite colours.[11][9] 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'.[14] The falls are narrowly oblanceolate, 3cm long and 5mm wide. The standards are erect, narrowly oblanceolate, 2cm long and 2-3mm wide.[11]
It has a 1cm long pedicel,[11][9] 4-5cm long and slender perianth tube, 1.5-1.8cm long stamens, yellow or purple anthers and a 1cm long ovary. It also has small style branches.[11]
After the iris has flowered, it produces an ellipsoid seed capsule, 2cm long and 7-8mm wide, with a beaked top and 6 ribs, between June and August. [11]
Iris kobayashii is native to temperate areas of China.[3]
It is found in the province of southern Liaoning.[11][3][10]
Northeastern China. [13] Manchuria[9]
It is found growing on dry hillsides.[11]
