Iris timofejewii

Description

Iris timofejewii is a species of flowering plant in the genus Iris, and also in the subgenus Iris. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from the mountain slopes of the Caucasus and Dagestan. It has narrow, evergreen, falcate (sickle-shaped), grey-green (glaucous) leaves, and a short flowering stem just taller than the leaves. Each stem has 1–2 flowers in shades of violet, with white beards that have purple tips. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. Iris timofejewii is close in form to Iris scariosa, or Iris pumila. It has a slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between 10–25 cm (4–10 in) tall. The stem is normally taller than the foliage. The stem has two acute, carinate (keeled), spathes (leaves of the flower bud). It holds between 1, and 2 terminal (top of stem) flowers, in late spring and early summer, in June. It has evergreen, grey-green, or blue-green, or glaucous leaves. They are falcate, or recurved. The narrow leaves, can grow up to between 12–25 cm (5–10 in) long, and between 5 -6mm wide. The flowers are very similar to aril iris species flowers. The flowers are 4–6 cm (2–2 in) in diameter, come in shades of violet, from reddish-violet, reddish brown, to blue-violet, dark violet, to purple. They are similar in form to Iris germanica, or Iris section Regalia flowers. 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 narrow, and tucked, falls are obovate. In the middle of the falls, is a row of short hairs called the 'beard', which is white, or yellow, with purple tips. The standards are oblanceolate-oblong, with round tips. It has style branches that are a similar length to the falls and a perianth tube which is 4–5 times as longer than the ovary. After the iris has flowered, in mid to late summer, it produces a seed capsule, that is similar in form to Iris pumila. The capsule is coated with a wart-like covering. Iris timofejewii is native to temperate regions of Asia, specifically the Eastern Caucasus, and is endemic to Dagestan, (including the districts of Akhvakhskiy, Akhtynskiy Botlikhskiy, Gumbetovskiy, Gunibskiy, Karabudakhkentskiy, Levashinskiy, Shamilskiy, Tsumadisnkiy, and Untsukulskiy,) a republic of Russia. They can be found at an altitude of 500–1,500 m (1,600–4,900 ft) above sea level, growing on the dry, rocky mountain, slopes, (normally made of limestone) or scrubland steppes.