Eremiris (Spach) Rodion., Bot. Zhurn.

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

11. Eremiris (Spach) Rodion., Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 91(11): 1707 (2006) [≡ Iris subg. Eremiris Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 13: 32 (1846); I. sect. Imberbis Turcz., Fl. Baical.-dahur. 2(2): 192 (1856); I. subsect. Ensatae Diels in Engl. & Prantl, Nat. Pflanzenfam. ed. 2, 15a: 502 (1930)]. Type (lectotype designated by Rodionenko 2006: 1708):— E. lactea (Pall.) Rodion. [≡ Iris lactea Pall., Reise Russ. Reich. 3: 713 (1776); I. pallasii Fisch., Index Sem. (Breslau) : 2 (1821)]

A NEW GENERIC ARRANGEMENT OF IRIS SENSU LATISSIMO

Phytotaxa 232 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press • 57 Description:—Rhizomatous herbs, with deciduous aerial structures. Rhizome thick, compact, creeping, branched, covered with reddish fibrous remains of old leaves; roots numerous fibrous, very long, not thickened. Stems aerial, solid, slightly compressed, ± elliptic in cross section. Leaves isobilateral, linear, with prominent ribs, ± glaucous, straight, equitant, not fetid. Flowers 2–3, terminal on stem, long pedicellate. Spathe valves 2–4, lanceolate, ± keeled, long acuminate, outer one herbaceous, including inner scarious. Perigone in 2 rows, differing in size and shape, fused in a very short, inconspicuous tube; falls erect-patent, oblanceolate, ± patent to recurved towards apex, gradually tapering into claw with nectar drops at the base, smooth; standards erect, narrowly oblanceolate, ± retuse, narrowed into a canaliculate long haft. Stamen filaments free, adnate to the fall bases. Ovary trilocular, with axile placentation. Style filiform, with 3 petaloid branches, up to half the length of falls, each one concealing a stamen; crests broadly triangular, ± straight, overlapping, with coarsely crenate margins; stigma triangular, long acuminate. Capsule oblong-cylindrical to fusiform, trigonous, dehiscing from apex to about middle, with 6 weak longitudinal ribs equally spaced, not hidden into spathes, obtuse, shortly beaked; pericarp papery. Seeds numerous, pyriform, ± apiculate, without fleshy appendages; testa surface shiny, smooth. x = 10. Figs. 4D , 18A .

It includes 3–4 species, occurring in central and eastern Asia (from Afghanistan to Korean Peninsula) ( Fig. 19A ).

Needed new combinations:— Eremiris lactea var. chrysantha (Y.T.Zhao) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris lactea var. chrysantha Y.T.Zhao, Bull. Bot. Lab. N. E. Forest. Inst., Harbin. 9: 76 (1980). Eremiris lactea var. chinensis (Fisch.) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris pallasii var. chinensis Fisch., Bot. Mag. 49: pl. 2331 (1822).

Figures

FIGURE 4. Flower morphology: falls, standards and stylar branches, sometimes with spathe bracts (cont.). A) Limniris sibirica (photo: Frank Hoehnel); B) Limniris chrysographes (photo: Ken Walker); C) Limniris sanguinea (photo: Andrej Baryshenko); D) Eremiris lactea (photo: Andrey Korzun); E) Sclerosiphon songaricum (photo: Vladimir Kolobincev); F) Joniris brevituba (photo: Georgy Lazkov); G) Phaeiris giganticaerulea (photo: Rodney Barton); H) Zhaoanthus henryi (photo: Ken Walker); I) Zhaoanthus minutoaureus (photo: Dennis Kramb); J) Iridodictyum reticulatum (photo: Sean Zera); K) Iridodictyum danfordiae (photo: Peter Bohnert); L) Cryptobasis mariae (photo: Yuriy Danilevsky).

FIGURE 18. Habit and floral details. A) Eremiris lactea (Lindley 1840: t. 1); B) Sclerosiphon songaricum (photo: Vladimir Kolobincev); C) Joniris ruthenica (photo: Aleksandr Kostjukov); D) Joniris ruthenica (Ker Gawler 1811: t. 1393); E) Phaeiris fulva (Small 1927: t. 388).

FIGURE 19. Approximate distribution areas: A) Eremiris (yellow); B) Sclerosiphon (green); C) Phaeiris (red); D) Zhaoanthus (blue); E) Hermodactylus (white).