Kingdom Plantae Family Iridaceae Tribe Irideae Scientific name Iris histrio | Order Asparagales Subfamily Iridoideae Genus Iris Rank Species | |
 | ||
Similar Iris vartanii, Iris caucasica, Iris histrioides, Iris regis‑uzziae, Iris hyrcana | ||
Iris histrio top 7 facts
Compare with Iris histrioides
Contents
Iris histrio is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Hermodactyloides and Section Reticulatae. It is a bulbous perennial
It was first collected by Charles Gaillardot in Lebanon in 1854. In 1873, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach (Rchb.f) wrote about the bulb in his 'Botanische Notizen'. This then joined the subspecies of iris reticulata, which has now been grouped with other under the subgenus of Hermodactyloides.
Iris histrio is an accepted name by the RHS.
It has baby blue flowers with intricate markings, shading to purplish blue at the base.
Like other members of the Reticulatae group, such as Iris vartanii and Iris danfordiae, it throws out a very large number of small bulbils round the base of the bulb. If these are planted separately in a reserve ground, they will develop into flowering bulbs in the course of two or three years. Seedlings of I. vartani certainly, and of I. histrio normally needs protection at all times, especially in the UK.
It can grow in loamy soils.
Native
Originally located in Kyrgyzstan. It can also be found in Israel, Lebanon, Syria and as far west as southern Turkey. It was on the list of highly dangered species in Lebanon in 2003.
Hybrids
Iris histrio has been separated into two subspecies by Mathew (1989) as subsp. histrio and subsp. aintabensis because of variations in leaf, perigon tube and segment measurements.
Iris histrio subsp. aintabensis has pale smaller blue flowers that are splashed darker on the falls and with a yellow or orange ridge. It is reported to be easier to grow than the species. Also known as Iris histrio var. aintabensis. It was found in the rocky scrublands of southern Turkey, in the Gaziantep-Maras region.
Iris histrio subsp. atropurpurea (Dykes) has purple flowers but with no markings on the falls. Found in 1913. This is now thought, to be a synonym of Iris reticulata var. reticulata.