Kingdom Plantae Family Iridaceae Tribe Irideae Rank Species | Order Asparagales Subfamily Iridoideae Genus Iris | |
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Similar Iris winogradowii, Iris fosteriana, Iris persica, Iris bucharica, Iris imbricata | ||
Iris aucheri (Aucher-Éloy iris) is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is a bulbous perennial in the Juno group of irises (multiple flowers per plant).
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It is native to Western Asia, in Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Jordan.
Description
Iris aucheri grows to 25 cm (10 in) tall, with crowded lanceolate leaves, producing several flowers in late winter or early spring.
The flowers may be white, pale blue or dark blue, with a yellow splash on the falls. It has a violet-like scent.
Biochemistry
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. It has a chromosomal count of 2n = 24. A study in 2014, was carried out on various species of iris DNA, it found that I. iberica subsp. elegantissima had a purity value of 2.80, compared to 1.26 of Iris aucheri.
Taxonomy
The Latin specific epithet aucheri commemorates the 19th century French botanist Pierre Martin Rémi Aucher-Éloy.
Cultivation
Iris aucheri is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant in gardens for its showy flowers. It requires neutral or slightly alkaline soil in a sheltered, frost-free spot, or it can be grown in an unheated greenhouse or conservatory, in the UK.
It is hardy to USDA Zone 6.
This plant species has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.