Chamaeiris Medik., Hist. & Commentat. Acad. Elect. Sci. Theod.

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

21. Chamaeiris Medik., Hist. & Commentat. Acad. Elect. Sci. Theod. -Palat. 6: 417 (1790) [ Iris sect. Xyridion Tausch, Hort. Canal. 1: without pagination (1823) ≡ I. subg. Xyridion (Tausch) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 13: 23 (1846); Xyridion (Tausch) Fourr., Ann. Soc. Linn. Lyon , ser. 2, 17: 163 (1869)]; incl. Ophioiris (Y.T.Zhao) Rodion., Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 89(8): 1359 (2004). Type (lectotype designated by Crespo 2011: 65):— Ch. graminea (L.) Medik. [≡ I. graminea L., Sp. Pl.: 39 (1753)]

Description:—Rhizomatous herbs, with persistent aerial structures, rarely deciduous. Rhizome usually hard and compact, nodose, many-branched, sometimes long creeping or otherwise short and stout, bulbiform at the apex, clothed with dark remains of leaves; roots fibrous or slightly thickened. Stems aerial, elongated, simple or rarely few-branched, solid or hollow, rounded to flattened in cross section, sometimes winged. Leaves isobilateral, herbaceous, ensiform to linear, sometimes with prominent ribs, usually fetid when crushed, equitant. Flowers terminal or axillary, pedicellate, in small clusters. Spathe valves (1–)2–3, scarious or herbaceous with apex and margins scarious, keeled. Perigone in 2 rows, differing in size and shape, fused in a short cylindric or cup-shaped tube, widened at the apex, usually with nectar drops on the outer surface; falls patent, panduriform or subspatulate, not or slightly reflexed in the upper part, gradually tapering into a short claw, smooth or loosely pubescent; standards erect to erect-patent, oblong to spatulate, acute to emarginate, about equalling the length of falls, narrowed into a short haft. Stamen filaments free, adnate to the fall bases. Ovary trilocular, with axile placentation. Style filiform, with 3 petaloid branches, about half longer than falls, each one concealing a stamen; crests short, ± incurved, subquadrate or rarely narrowly triangular, ± irregularly fringed on margins; stigma bifid, with triangular, acute lobes. Capsule ovate-lanceolate to oblong, dehiscing from apex to about middle, usually with 6 prominent ridges, sometimes winged and arranged in 3 pairs, each one on each angle, usually not hidden into spathes, evidently beaked; pericarp coriaceous. Seeds numerous, globose to subcubic, without aril; testa papery, loose, irregularly nerved on the back, or fleshy, coloured, almost smooth. p = 8, 9, 10, 11. Figs. 2F–G , 5F–I , 23D , 25A .

It includes 28 species, occurring through Europe (excepting the northernmost areas) and northern Africa to eastern Asia, the highest diversity being found from Turkey and the Caucasus to western Himalaya ( Fig. 24A ).

Needed new combinations:— Chamaeiris ser. Ophioiris (Y.T.Zhao) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris sect. Ophioiris Y.T.Zhao, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18(1): 56 (1980) [ Ophioiris (Y.T.Zhao) Rodion., Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 89(8): 1359 (2004)]. Type (holotype):— Ch. anguifuga (Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev. Chamaeiris anguifuga (Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris anguifuga Y.T.Zhao & X.J.Xue, Acta Phytotax. Sin. 18(1): 56 (1980) [ Ophioiris anguifuga (Y.T.Zhao & X.J. Xue) Rodion., Bot. Zhurn. (Moscow & Leningrad) 89: 1359 (2004)]. Chamaeiris colchica (Kem.-Nath.) M.B.Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris colchica Kem. - Nath., Zametki Sist. Geogr. Rast. 3: 3 (1938). Chamaeiris marschalliana (Bobrov) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris marschalliana Bobrov, Bot. Mater. Gerb. Bot. Inst. Komarova Akad. Nauk S.S.S.R. 20: 7 (1960) [ Iris humilis M.Bieb., Fl. Taur. -Caucas. 1: 33 (1808) nom. illeg., non Georgi, Bemerk. Reise Russ. Reich 1: 196 (1775)].

Figures

FIGURE 2. External morphology of rootstock (bulbs, rhizomes and roots). A) Iridodictyum reticulatum, bulb with reticulate outer tunics (photo: Ken Walker); B) Xiphion heracleanum, bulb with membranous outer tunics and stem bulbil (photo: Manuel B. Crespo); C) Juno narbutii, bulb with persistent fleshy roots (photo: Ken Walker); D) Juno rosenbachiana, bulb with persistent fleshy roots (photo: Ken Walker); E) Limniris pseudacorus, rhizome with swollen annulate annual growths (photo: G.–U. Tolkiehn); F) Hermodactylus tuberosus, rhizome with pseudodigitate tubercles (photo: Attilio Marzorati); G) Junopsis barbatula, fleshy tuberous roots surrounding the inconspicuous central rhizome (photo: Ken Walker); H) Phaeiris hexagona, rhizome with fibrous remains of old leaves on scars, and fibrosus roots (photo: Ken Walker); I) Siphonostylis lazica, rhizome dichotomously branched and fibrous roots (photo: Ken Walker); J) Zhaoanthus odaesanensis, slender stoloniferous rhizomes with long, thin roots bearing nodules (photo: Christy Hensler); K) Rodionenkoa gracilipes, heterogeneous rhizome with cord-like branches (photo: Ken Walker); L) Cryptobasis bungei, short rizhomes with reddish-brown remains of leaf sheaths forming an apical neck-like structure (MO s.n.).

FIGURE 5. Flower morphology: falls, standards and stylar branches, sometimes with spathe bracts (cont.). A) Hermodactylus tuberosus (photo: Paul Tyerman); B) Syrianthus grant-duffii (photo: Gideon Pisanty); C) Xiphion xiphium (photo: Mario Martínez- Azorín); D) Xiphion heracleanum (photo: Alicia Vicente); E) Alatavia kolpakowskiana (photo: Joyce Fingerut); F) Chamaeiris foetidissima (photo: Mario Martínez-Azorín); G) Chamaeiris graminea (photo: José Quiles); H) Chamaeiris reichenbachiana (photo: José Quiles); I) Chamaeiris anguifuga (photo: Jim Murrain); J) Dielsiris longipetala (photo: Ken Walker); K) Rodionenkoa gracilipes (photo: Ken Walker); L) Lophiris cristata (photo: Ken Walker).

FIGURE 23. Habit and floral details. A) Syrianthus grant-duffii (Baker 1889: t. 7604); B) Xiphion boissieri (Baker 1890: t. 7097); C) Alatavia kolpakowskiana (Baker 1880: t. 6489); D) Chamaeiris orientalis (Trew et al. 1773: t. 100).

FIGURE 24. Approximate distribution areas: A) Chamaeiris (red); B) Dielsiris (yellow).

FIGURE 25. Habit and floral details. A) Chamaeiris anguifuga (photo: Jim Murrain); B) Dielsiris missouriensis (Baker 1881: t. 6579); C) Rodionenkoa gracilipes (Hemsley 1903: t. 7926); D) Lophiris cristata (Small 1924: t. 320).