Iris tibetica (Dykes) Bolt.

Boltenkov, Eugeny V., 2018, Taxonomic notes on Iris ser. Lacteae (Iridaceae) with typifications of fifteen names and one new combination, Phytotaxa 383 (3), pp. 283-292 : 289

5. Iris tibetica (Dykes) Bolt. in Boltenkov et al. (2018: 235)

≡ I. ensata f. tibetica Dykes (1916: 194) .

Protologue citation:—“… from Sining [Xining] throughout the Da-Tung Alps to 11,000 feet ”. Type (lectotype, designated by Boltenkov in Boltenkov et al. 2018: 235):— CHINA. [Qinghai Province], inordinately abundant on all the open loess plains and slopes from Sining throughout the Da-Tung Alps, (I. sp. “ hyacinthina ”), up to 11000, [fl.], May–June [1915], [R. Farrer & W. Purdom] 496 (E00711784!). Syntype:—CNINA [Qinghai], One specimen only, in wolwes den, among F. 496, of which it is probably a unique variety, I. sp. “ kelaina ”, [fl.], June 15 [1915], [R. Farrer & W. Purdom] 501 (E00711785!).

Notes:— Iris ensata f. tibetica was described by Dykes (1916) from plants collected by Reginald Farrer and his companion William Purdom in the east of Qinghai Province, western China, in 1915. This expedition started in Xining and proceeded north and slightly east from there, through the Datung Alps, in the northeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Farrer (1917) noted that the plants were collected near “Wei-yuan Pu”, which corresponds to Weiyuanzhen in Huzhu Tu Autonomous County within Haidong, eastern Qinghai Province, at an elevation about 3000 m a.s.l. Dykes (1916) in the protologue cited two specimens from Farrer’s collection (F. 496 and F. 501), one of which was designated as the lectotype ( Boltenkov et al. 2018). These specimens are accompanied by labels handwritten by Farrer. The lectotype plants correspond to the common pale-blue form, to which Farrer referred as iris “ hyacinthina ” due to its entrancing hyacinth-fragrance. Meanwhile, it was noted ( Dykes 1916, Farrer 1917) that plants with milky-blue, lavender, cream, and white flower colour can occur in the same population.