Iris aphylla (also known as leafless iris, table iris or stool iris) is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus Iris, and in the section Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from Asia to Europe. It is found in Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania, Former Yugoslavia, Italy, Romania and France. It has dark green or bright green, sword-shaped, long grass-like leaves, that die/fade away in the winter. It also has a slender stem, with several branches and green and purplish spathes. It has 3–5 large flowers, in shades of bright purple, purple, violet, dark blue, blue-violet and dark violet, which bloom between spring and early summer. Occasionally, they re-bloom in the autumn, before the seed capsule is formed. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Description It is a variable species in the wild,Kelly Norris especially in flower colour, height of stem and leaves, and length of perianth tube (of the flower).Thomas Gaskell Tuti (Editor)
Iris aphylla is slightly shorter than Iris germanica (a commonly cultivated garden iris), but which it is very closely related.
It has short, tuberous rhizome, that is 18–22 mm in diameter. It has a stout and thick rhizome,British Iris Society (1997) Thomas Mawe and John Abercrombi with several stem buds. The rhizome creeps along the ground,Richard Lynch creating dense clumps of plants.Kelly Norris
It has basal leaves (rising from the rhizome), that are curved, acuminate (pointed) and 1–3 cm wide. They are slightly smaller than Iris aphylla, and shorter than the flowering stem. They have 5–6 ribs, and curve outwards.
It has dark green, or intense green leaves, that rise directly from rhizome. They later fade to a grey-green colour. They are often flushed purple at the base.They are ensiform (sword shaped),John Wilkes (Editor) glaucescent, and falcate (sickle-shaped). They can grow up to between long, and between 2 and 3 cm wide. The outer leaves are normally shorter than the inner leaves. They are sometimes longer than the flower stems. It is deciduous. Meaning that the leaves die back the winter, and it is leafless, also leaving a 'naked' stem. This is why it received the common name of 'leafless iris'. They re-grow in March, the next year.
It has a slender, stem, that can grow up to between tall. Very occasionally, they can reach up to between tall. They are sometimes the same height as the leaves.Stephen Reynolds Clarke It is sometimes shorter than Iris germanica, with longer leaves than stems.
The stem has 1–2 branches (or pedicels), (rarely 3 branches). The branches appear from the base up to the middle of the stem. Occasionally, the rhizome has 2 flower stems, or it produces a branch at the level of the ground, so that two stems appear to arise from the rhizome.
The stem has 1–2 spathes (leaves of the flower bud), they are green, or stained with purple,Sydenham Edwards or purple at the apex of the spathe. They are greenish at flowering time. They are narrow and rounded, ovate, oblong or oblong-lanceolate shaped. They can be between long. They sometimes have (scarious) membranous tip.
The stems (and the branches) hold between 3 and 5 flowers, between spring, and early summer, between April and May, in May,Donald Wyman or between May and June.Philip Miller Richard Morris They sometimes have a secondary bloom in autumn, between August and September, or between September and October, but it is less vigorous than the spring display. Only if good conditions around. They are open for only a few days.
The fragrant, large, flowers are in diameter. They seem to stand above each other. They come in shades of bright purple,John Graefer purple, violet, dark blue, blue-violet, dark violet, to dark purple.
In Moldova, there are forms of plants in bright reddish-purple colour.
It has a short pedicel, that is 0.5 cm long, and a cylindrical, green perianth tube, that is stained purple and 1.6 – 2.5 cm long.
Like other irises, 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'. The falls are wide, obovate often retuse (rounded), and long, and wide. The falls narrow to a pale, cuneate (wedge shaped) haft (section of petal near stem). They are also striped with white, or the hafts are striped.
In the centre of the petal is a whitish, or white tinged with blue, or pale blue beard. They are tipped with yellow at the back (of the beard), or orange tipped. The standards are oval, with an elliptical limb, and long, and 2.2–3 cm wide. They narrow to canaliculate (with a small channel or groove) brownish-marked haft, or short claw. The standards are slightly broader than the falls.
It has pale style branches, that are 0.6–1 cm long, with deltoid crests.
It has 1.5 cm long filaments, very pale violet, oblong and 1 cm long ovaries, blue edged anthers and white or bluish pollen.
After the iris has flowered, in August, it produces a cylindrical, blunt and triangular, or oblong, hexagonal seed capsule, that is long, and 1.3–2.3 cm wide, with 6 grooves. Inside the capsule, are obovate,Vít Bojnanský and Agáta Fargašová ovoid, globose or pyriform (pear shaped) seeds, that are brown or dark reddish brown, rugose (wrinkled). They are 4.5–5.2 mm long and 2.9–3.3 mm wide.
The stems hold 1–5 terminal (top of stem) flowers, blooming between March and May or between May and June. It can often the second bloom time between August and September.
The flower bud leans slightly before flowering in Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica as compared to Iris aphylla, in which the stem is straight.
The large flowers, come in shades of purple, or dark purple, or violet-blue.
Like other irises, 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'. The falls are ovate and elongated, and 2–3 cm wide. In the centre of the petal, white beards with orange tops. The standards are elongated an ovoid, and 3 cm wide.
After the iris has flowered, it produces a capsule, that is triangular, capsule, which is 4–5 mm long and 3 mm wide. The capsule contains elongated ovoid seeds.
Biochemistry In 2003, a study was carried out the genetic diversity of Iris aphylla in Poland. In 2003, a population and morphological study was carried out on Iris aphylla within Biebrza National Park, Poland. In 2006, the genetic diversity of 7 populations of Iris aphylla were studied. In 2008, a genetic and morphological study was carried out on Iris aphylla populations in Italy. Some populations (in Piemonte) were re-classified as Iris perrieri and plants labelled as Iris benacensis were not either Iris perrieri or Iris aphylla but a separate species. In 2008, the iris was studied to find the genetic diversity over a geographical range.
In 2010, a chromosomal and European distribution study was carried out on Iris aphylla. It found the iris had a tetraploid origin. In 2013, an in vitro micropropagation study was carried out on Iris aphylla. To improve the growth rate of new plants of the species. As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. But unusually, Iris aphylla is a tetraploid form with 48 somatic chromosomes, but it is also variable. Other chromosome counts have 2n=24, 40 and 48. It is normally published with a count of 2n=48. by Randolph in 1947, and by Hrouda & Kralik (in 2010). Genetics In 2010, a cytotype study was carried out on Iris aphylla, using karyotype and AFLP data analysis. It concluded that Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica was a separate species to Iris aphylla.
In 2014, a study was carried out on the foliage and rhizomes of the iris, it found several constituents and terpenoids (organic compounds), including phenylacetaldehyde, eugenol, and lauric acid.
As most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes, this can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings. It has been counted twice, 2n=48 (as Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica) in 1983, by Murín A. & Májovský J., Karyological study of Slovakian flora IV. – Acta Fac. Rerum Nat. Univ. Comen., Bot. 30: 1–16. Also 2n=44 (as Iris hungarica Waldst. & Kit.) in 1990 by Zakharjeva, O. I., Numeri Chromosomatum Magnoliophytorum Florae URSS, Aceraceae—Menyanthaceae. Nauka, Leninopoli.
Taxonomy
It is pronounced as (Iris) EYE-ris (aphylla) a-FIL-uh.
In German, it is known as 'nacktstängelige iris', or 'nacktstengelige schwertlilie'. In Swedish, as 'skomakariris'. In Poland, it is known as 'kosaciec bezlistny'. It is written in Russian Cyrillic script as Ирис Касатик безлистный.
It has several common names including, 'iris leafless', or 'leafless iris', or 'stool iris',Elaine Nowick (especially in Hungary,) or 'table iris'.
It has the common names of Hungarian leafless iris, or Hungarian Iris, or Iris steppe.
The Latin subspecies specific epithet hungarica refers to Hungary,D. Gledhill where the iris was originally found.
It was first published and described as Iris hungarica by Waldstein & Kitaibel in 'Descriptiones et icônes plantarum rariorum Hungáriáé'(Descr. Icon. Pl. Hung.) Vol.3 page 251 between 1806 and 1812. In 1909, Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica was published by Gustav Hegi in 'Ill Fl. Mitteleur' Vol.2 page 289.Andrei Aleksandrovich Fedorov (Editor) Both were then de-classified as a synonyms of Iris aphylla. Later, Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica was re-classified as a subspecies of Iris aphylla.
It has not been verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service, as of 2 September 2015.
It has not been recognized as a subspecies by Plant list, as of 4 September 2015.
It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life.
Iris aphylla subsp. hungarica is an accepted name by the RHS.
An older common name (especially in the UK), was 'naked stalked purple and white iris', or just 'naked stalked iris'.
The Latin specific epithet aphylla refers to the Greek word for 'without leaf',D. Gledhill This is due to the fact that the iris does not have any leaves during the winter period. Hence, one of its synonyms includes 'Iris nudicaulis', (or nude stem).
It was first published and described by Carl Linnaeus in 'Species Plantarum' (Sp. Pl.) Vol.1 on page 38 on 1 May 1753.
The plant has many synonyms, including several subspecies which have been downgraded to synonyms as well.
It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, then updated on 1 December 2004.
It is listed in the Encyclopedia of Life.
Iris aphylla is an accepted name by the RHS and is listed in the 'RHS Plant Finder 2015'. Distribution and habitat
It is native to parts of Central and Eastern Europe, and temperate Asia,
Range Within temperate Asia, it is found in the Caucasus, within Azerbaijan, and the Russian Federation, states of Ciscaucasia and Dagestan.
Within Europe, it is found in Czechoslovakia, (only in central Bohemia and Czech central,) Germany, Hungary, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania, Former Yugoslavia, Italy, Romania (within the Transylvanian Basin and Szeklerland,) France, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, and (according to one ref) in Great Britain and Ireland, but this may mean just naturalized.