Belamcanda Adans., Fam. Pl.

Crespo, Manuel B., Martínez-Azorín, Mario & Mavrodiev, Evgeny V., 2015, Can a rainbow consist of a single colour? A new comprehensive generic arrangement of the ‘ Iris sensu latissimo’ clade (Iridaceae), congruent with morphology and molecular data, Phytotaxa 232 (1), pp. 448-450 : 448-450

3. Belamcanda Adans., Fam. Pl. : 2: 60, 524 (1763), nom. et orth. cons. [“ Belamkanda ”] [ Pardanthus Ker Gawl., Ann. Bot. (König & Sims) 1(2): 246 (1804)]. Type (lectotype designated by Medikus 1790: 419; typus cons.):— B. chinensis (L.) Medik., Hist. & Commentat. Acad. Elect. Sci. Theod.-Palat. 6: 419 (1790) [≡ Ixia chinensis L., Sp. Pl.: 36 (1753) nom. cons.; Gemmingia chinensis (L.) Kuntze, Revis. Gen. Pl. 2: 701 (1891); Iris domestica (L.) Goldblatt & Mabb., Novon 15: 129 (2005), syn. subst.; Belamcanda punctata Moench, Methodus : 529 (1794), nom. illeg.]

Description:—Rhizomatous herbs, with deciduous aerial parts. Rhizome short, stout, creeping, slightly nodose-annulate, with brownish fibers; roots numerous fleshy, long, thickened. Stems aerial, dichotomously ramose in the upper part, ± hollow, slightly compressed, ± elliptic in cross section. Leaves isobilateral, ensiform, subfalcate, with ± prominent midrib, ± glaucous, equitant, not fetid. Flowers numerous, in small lateral clusters, terminal on branches, usually vespertine, short-lived, shrivelling spirally and falling off after anthesis just below the ovary, with pedicels persistent, stiff after flower abscission. Spathe valves 2–3, herbaceous with scarious apex at anthesis, obtuse, not keeled. Perigone in 2 rows, almost equal in size and shape -outer ones somewhat larger, not differentiated in falls and standards-, erect-patent, obovate- to elliptic-cuneate, minute trilobed at apex, obtuse, narrowed in a canaliculate claw, smooth, completely free. Stamen filaments free, distinct, not hidden by style branches, adnate to the fall bases. Ovary trilocular, with axile placentation. Style filiform, long, distinct, not extending between stamens, with 3 short somewhat flattened branches, spreading over stamens, about as long as perigone; stigma terminal, with stigmatic surfaces each subtended adaxially by paired flaps of tissue. Capsule obovoid to ellipsoid, subtrilobed, with 6 weak longitudinal ribs, dehiscing from apex to base, obscurely reticulate-nervose, not hidden into spathes, obtuse with a short point, unbeaked; pericarp papery, hard. Seeds several, globose, long persisting on capsule axis after dehiscence, without aril; testa surface blackish, glossy, smooth. x = 8. Figs. 3D , 6A , 7D .

It includes 1 species, occurring in eastern Asia, Philippines, and Japan ( Fig. 9B ), though it is cultivated worldwide and sometimes naturalized. The correct citation of the only species accepted here is B. chinensis (L.) Medik., Hist. & Commentat. Acad. Elect. Sci. Theod.-Palat. 6: 419 (1790). The later combination established by Candolle in Redouté (1805: t. 121) is to be regarded as an isonym.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Flower morphology: falls, standards and stylar branches in most cases, sometimes with spathe bracts. A) Siphonostylis lazica (photo: Ken Walker); B) Gattenhofia verna (photo: Jim McCormac); C) Pardanthopsis dichotoma (photo: Christy Hensler); D) Belamcanda chinensis, with all tepals subequal and also with fruits (photo: Tom Murphy); E) Iris germanica (photo: Ken Walker); F) Iris acutiloba (photo: Aleksandr Ivanov); G) Iris tigridia (photo: Vladimir Y. Arkhipov); H) Iris bloudowii (photo: Vesa Muurinen); I) Juno planifolia (photo: Mario Martínez-Azorín); J) Evansia japonica (photo: Ken Walker); K) Tectiris tectorum (photo: Ken Walker); L) Junopsis decora (photo: Ken Walker).

FIGURE 6. Carpology. A) Belamcanda chinensis, seeds black, long persistent on the central axis of fruit (photo: Stanislav Doronenko); B) Pardanthopsis dichotoma, seeds shortly winged (photo: Ken Walker); C) Gattenhofia verna var. smalliana, seeds with fleshy raphe and ribbed surface (photo: Ken Walker); D) Tectiris tectorum, seeds glossy, pyriform, apiculate, with inconspicuous aril (photo: Ken Walker); E) Evansia wattii, seeds matte, angulose, with small aril (photo: Dennis Kramb); F) Chamaeiris foetidissima, seeds reddish, persistent on valves of the opened fruit (photo: Ken Walker); G) Chamaeiris halophila, seeds with papery, loose testa (photo: David Pilling); H) Hermodactylus tuberosus, seeds globose with gelatinous aril (photo: Ken Walker); I) Lophiris cristata, seeds with long coiled appendage (photo: Jan Sacks); J) Zhaoanthus speculatrix, seeds with aril withering early as a wing (photo: Ken Walker); K) Phaeiris giganticaerulea, seeds large, flattened, with thickened, corky testa (photo: Robert R. Pries); L) Joniris uniflora, seeds with fleshy raphe vanishing on drying (photo: Robert R. Pries); M) Limniris sibirica, seeds discoidal, without aril, with subcorky testa (photo: Ken Walker); N) Rodionenkoa gracilipes, seeds with fleshy raphe and testa surface pitted (photo: Robert R. Pries); O) Junopsis collettii, seeds oblong with conspicuous whitish aril (photo: Ken Walker); P) Zhaoanthus koreanus, seeds globosecompressed, with fleshy raphe withering early as a wing (photo: Robert R. Pries); Q) Iris hoogiana, seeds with prominent aril and testa surface reticulate-wrinkled (photo: Robert R. Pries); R) Iris pumila, seeds without aril and testa surface reticulate-wrinkled (photo: Steve Hurst); S) Juno bucharica, seeds apiculate with fleshy appendage (photo: Ken Walker); T) Siphonostylis lazica, seeds angulose with testa surface covered with sessile glands (photo: Ken Walker). Scale bars in mm.

FIGURE 7. Habit and floral details. A) Siphonostylis cretensis (Baker 1878: t. 6343); B) Gattenhofia verna (Small 1931: t. 520); C) Pardanthopsis dichotoma (Baker 1879: t. 6428); D) Belamcanda chinensis (Curtis 1791: t. 171).

FIGURE 9. Approximate distribution areas: A) Pardanthopsis (violet); B) Belamcanda (orange); C) Juno (red); D) Junopsis (yellow). Areas for A and B include only the territories where they are presumably native.