Iris ludwigii, with the common name Ludwig iris, is a species in the genus Iris. It is also in the subgenus Iris subg. Limniris and in the series Spuriae. It is a rhizomatous perennial plant with violet-blue flowers. It is native to the Altai Mountains in Central Asia, where Russia, China, Mongolia, and Kazakhstan meet. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
| Iris ludwigii | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Iridaceae |
| Genus: | Iris |
| Subgenus: | Iris subg. Limniris |
| Section: | Iris sect. Limniris |
| Series: | Iris ser. Spuriae |
| Species: | I. ludwigii
|
| Binomial name | |
| Iris ludwigii | |
| Synonyms[1] | |
| |
Description
editIris ludwigii is similar in form to Iris pontica, but differs in shape and size of the rhizome.[2]
It has a stout, creeping rhizome.[3] That forms compact and often crowded plants.[2]
It has between 2 and 4, linear, grass-like, lanceolate, 20–40 cm (8–16 in) long,[4][5][6] and 5 mm wide leaves.[3] The leaves have 3–7 veins.[3][6]
It has very variable sized stems that can be obsolete or underground,[2] or 2–3 cm long,[3][7] or up to 10–20 cm (4–8 in) cm long.[4][5]
It has lanceolate and green, paper-like spathes (leaves of the flower bud).[2][3][6]
The stems hold 1–2 terminal (top of stem) flowers,[2][3][4] between May and June.[3][6] The flowers last on the plant between 6–8 days.[6]
It has flowers that are 5–6 cm (2–2 in) in diameter,[6] that are violet-blue.[3][4][7] 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'.[8] The falls are lanceolate, with white marks and violet-blue veining. The centre of the falls is covered with short unicellular hairs,[3] (looking similar to a yellow beard).[4][5] The standards are erect, narrow and oblong.[3]
It has a slender filiform (thread-like), perianth tube.[3][6]
It has linear style branches, that white with violet-blue tips.[3] It has yellow or white filaments and orange anthers.[3][6]
After the iris has flowered, it produces a seed capsule (not described) between August and September.[6]
Biochemistry
editAs most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes. This can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.[8] It has a chromosome count: 2n=38.[7]
In 2003, a study was carried out on the chromosome sequencing of various irises from the Siberian region of central Asia. They sequenced the rbcL gene from some Siberian iris species belonging to different subgenera, including Iris halophila, Iris ludwigi, Iris uniflora, Iris pseudacorus, Iris glaucescens, Iris tigridia, and Iris laevigata. Their results supported Brian Mathew's classification from 1989. That Iris halophila and Iris ludwigii form a cluster.[9]
Taxonomy
editThe Latin specific epithet ludwigii refers to the collector of the type specimen, who is not further identified in the protolog.
It has the common name of Ludwig Iris.[10][11][12]
It was originally published and described by Karl Johann Maximowicz in the 'Bulletin of the Academy of Imperial Science, Saint-Pétersburg Vol.26 pages508-509 in 1880.[13]
It was later published in Mélanges Biol. Bull. Phys.-Math. Acad. Imp. Sci. Saint-Pétersbourg Vol.10 page721 in 1880 (Diagn. pl. nov. asiat.).[14]
In his book (Iris, 1913) William Rickatson Dykes was once thought Iris ludwigii to a form of Iris humilis with stoloniferous rhizomes, the Academy of Imperial Science, Saint-Pétersburg did not agree with this.[3] It was later treated as a separate species by Brian Mathew.[5] Georgi Rodionenko had proposed Series Ludwigia for this species.[7] But after chromosomal studies were carried out it was then placed in Series Spuriae.[9]
It was mentioned in 'Vascular Plants of Russia and Adjacent States (the Former USSR)'.[15]
It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003.[14]
Distribution and habitat
editIris ludwigii is native to temperate regions of Asia.[13][14]
Range
editIt is found in Altai Mountains,[2][4][7][13] between east Kazakhstan,[6][12][16] and Siberia,[7][13] and Altai Republic in Russia.[3][14]
It is listed with Iris bloudowii, Iris psammocola, Iris ruthenica, Iris sibirica, Iris tenuifolia and Iris tigridia as being found in the Altai-Sayan region (where Russia, China, Mongolia and Kazakhstan come together).[17]
It is also found in the Altai-Dzungarian region of the Altai mountains (between Mongolia and China).[18]
Habitat
editIt grows on the steppes,[2] in meadows, in thickets of Neotrinia splendens, and on gravelly slopes.[3][6]
Conservation
editIt is listed in the IUCN Red Book of the Altai Territory.[6]
It is at risk due to the effects of cattle grazing, ploughing and other farming methods.[12]
In April 2005, a Working draft of Species Action Plan for Iris ludwigii was created for the at risk plants on the Altai Mountains.[19]
It is mentioned as one of the 17 species of plants are included in the 'Red Book of Kazakhstan', and they are: Steppe peony (Paeonia hybrida), Spring asphodel, (Adonis vernalis), Pink rhodiola (Rhodiola rosea), Altai rhubarb (Rheum altaicum), Altai daphne (Daphne altaica), Snow (Macropodium nivale), Siberian adder's-tongue (Erythronium sibiricum), Maral root (Rhaponticum carthamoides), Vereschagin (Limnas veresczaginii), Heteropetals tulip (Tulipa heteropetala), Small-fruit cranberry (Oxycoccus microcarpus), (Cymbaria dahyrica), Altai anthrax (Sibiraea altaiensis), Stemless (Leiospora excapa), Altai gimnospermium (Gimnospermium altaicum) and Fir club moss (Lycopodium selago). 5 species of plant were put into the 'Red Book of Russian Federation', they are Steppe peony (Paeonia hybrida), Altai rhubarb (Rheum altaicum), Altai daphne (Daphne altaica), Ludwig iris (Iris ludwigii) and Siberian adder's-tongue (Erythronium sibiricum).[10][11]
Cultivation
editIris ludwigii is cultivated as an ornamental plant for gardens. It prefers locations in full sun, on soils with good drainage.[2]
In nature and in cultivation, it was found that the plant, flowers but they are sterile with underdeveloped stamens. Therefore, does not produce seeds.[10]
It is hardy enough to grow and be cultivated in the botanical gardens of Barnaul, Novosibirsk and Chita, Zabaykalsky Kra, in Russia. It was trialled at The Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg in 1971. It bloomed three times but then died after flowering.[10]
Propagation
editReferences
edit- ^ "Iris ludwigii Maxim. is an accepted name". theplantlist.org (The Plant List). 23 March 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Kramb, D (28 March 2005). "Iris ludwigii". signa.org (Species Iris Group of North America). Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Komarov, V.L. (1935). "Akademiya Nauk SSSR (FLORA of the U.S.S.R.) Vol. IV". Retrieved 9 October 2014.
- ^ a b c d e f Cassidy, George E.; Linnegar, Sidney (1987). Growing Irises (Revised ed.). Bromley: Christopher Helm. ISBN 0-88192-089-4.
- ^ a b c d Franco, Alain (29 November 2013). "(SPEC) Iris Ludwigii Maxim". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society). Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Silanteva., M.M. "IRIS LUDWIGII MAXIM. – IRIS (iris) Ludwig". lesnoj-atlas.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f "Iris summary" (PDF). pacificbulbsociety.org. 14 April 2014. Retrieved 23 November 2014.
- ^ a b Austin, Claire (2005). Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia. Timber Press, Incorporated. ISBN 978-0881927306. OL 8176432M.}
- ^ a b Makarevitch, Irina; Golovnina, Kseniya; Scherbik, Svetlana; Blinov, Alexander (2003). "Phylogenetic Relationships of the Siberian Iris Species Inferred from Noncoding Chloroplast DNA Sequences". Int. J. Plant Sci. 164 (2). The University of Chicago: 229–237. doi:10.1086/346160. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d "The exhibition "Iris Russia"". flower-iris.ru. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Burkhatskiy Pass". kazakhstan.orexca.com. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ a b c Doronkin, B. M. "Iris (Iris) Ludwig (Iris ludwigii)". calc.ru. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Iridaceae Iris ludwigii Maxim". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index). Retrieved 14 January 2015.
- ^ a b c d "Iris ludwigii". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ Sergeĭ Kirillovich Cherepanov (1981)Plants of Russia and Adjacent States (the Former USSR)&pg=PA280 Up0XgqTk2pkC , p. 280, at Google Books
- ^ "Red Book (Flora) 2". innature.kz. Retrieved 19 August 2015.
- ^ "Biodiversity of Altai-Sayan Ecoregion". bioaltai-sayan.ru. Retrieved 15 August 2015.
- ^ Olonova, Marina V.; Zhang, Daoyuan; Duan, Shiming; Yin, Linke; Pan, Borong (2010). "Rare and endangered plant species of the Chinese Altai Mountains" (PDF). Journal of Arid Land. 2 (3): 222–230. doi:10.3724/SP.J.1227.2010.00222. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
- ^ "Darwin Initiative for the Survival of Species Project: 162 / 11 / 025 Cross-border conservation strategies for Altai Mountain endemics (Russia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan) Annual Report (Year 3)" (PDF). darwininitiative.org.uk. April 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 11 February 2015.
Other sources
edit- Komarov, V. L. et al., eds. 1934–1964. Flora SSSR.
- Mathew, B. 1981. The Iris. 113.
- Rare and Endangered Plants of Siberia, 1980
External links
edit
Data related to Iris ludwigii at Wikispecies
