Xiphion Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr.

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

19. Xiphion Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. , ed. 4: without pagination (1754) [≡ Iris sect. Xiphion (Mill.) Tausch, Hort. Canal. 1: without pagination (1823); Iris subg. Xiphion (Mill.) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 13: 18 (1846), “ Xiphium ”; Chamoletta Adans., Fam. Pl. 2: 60 (1763); Iriastrum Heist. ex Fabr., Enum. ed. 2: 34 (1763)]. Type (lectotype designated by Pfeiffer 1874: 1632; Rodionenko 1961: 200):— X. vulgare Mill. = X. xiphium (L.) M.B.Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev [≡ Iris xiphium L., Sp. Pl.: 40 (1753)]

Description:—Bulbous herbs, with deciduous aerial structures. Bulb tunicate, with several fleshy internal tunics, free from each other, clothed with smooth, dark membranous or apically fibrous outer tunics; roots fibrous or slightly thickened, absent during dormancy. Stem aerial, simple, solid or hollow, rounded in cross section, usually with coloured membranous short sheaths at the base. Leaves bifacial, narrowly linear to filiform, ± canaliculate in the basal part, lacking prominent angles, not fetid. Flores solitary or in terminal groups, sessile or subsessile. Spathe valves 2, herbaceous at the anthesis, with hyaline margins. Perigone in 2 rows, usually differing in size and shape, free or fused in a ± long tube; falls erect-patent to subreflexed, panduriform or obovate-lanceolate, reflexed towards the middle part, gradually tapering into a short claw, smooth or with a central ridge or row of fine unicellular hairs; standards erect, oblanceolate to filiform, usually 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 equalling falls, each one concealing a stamen; crests triangular-lanceolate, acute, ± straight to incurved; stigma bifid, usually with acute narrow lobes. Capsule oblong to cylindrical, trigonous to slightly trilobed, dehiscing from apex to about middle, unbeaked; pericarp papery. Seeds numerous, globose to pyriform or angulose to narrowly winged, without aril; testa surface irregularly verruculose to cristate. p = 8, 9. Figs. 2B , 5C–D , 23B .

It includes 10 species, occurring in the western and central Mediterranean basin, from Italy to Portugal, the highest diversity being in the Iberian Peninsula and northwestern Africa ( Fig. 22A ). The proposal by Crespo & Zijlstra (2013) to conserve the name Xiphion vulgare against Iris xiphium was not recommended by the Nomenclature Committee for Vascular Plants (see Applequist 2013).

Needed new combinations:— Xiphion xiphium (L.) M.B.Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris xiphium L., Sp. Pl.: 40 (1753) [ X. vulgare Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8: without pagination (1768)]. Xiphion xiphium var. battandieri (Foster) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris xiphium var. battandieri Foster, Bulb. Iris : 65 (1892). Xiphion xiphium var. lusitanicum (Ker Gawl.) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris lusitanica Ker Gawl., Bot. Mag. 18: tab. 679 (1803). Xiphion xiphium var. praecox (Dykes) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris xiphium var. praecox Dykes , Genus Iris : 215, 245, pl. 43 (1912). Xiphion xiphium var. taitii (Foster) M.B.Crespo, Mart. -Azorín & Mavrodiev, comb. nov. Basionym: Iris taitii Foster, Gard. Chron. ser. 3, 40: 145 (1906).

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 22. Approximate distribution areas: A) Xiphion (red); B) Iridodictyum (yellow); C) Alatavia (green).

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).