Hermodactylus 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

Phytotaxa 232 (1) © 2015 Magnolia Press • 61 17. Hermodactylus Mill., Gard. Dict. Abr. , ed. 4: without pagination (1754) [≡ Iris subg. Hermodactylus (Mill.) Spach, Hist. Nat. Vég. 13: 14 (1846)]. Type (holotype):— H. tuberosus (L.) Mill., Gard. Dict. ed. 8: without pagination (1768) [≡ Iris tuberosa L., Sp. Pl.: 40 (1753)]

Description:—Rhizomatous herbs, with deciduous aerial structures. Rhizome short, ending in 2–4 oblong tubercles, ± digitate; roots fibrous, thin. Stem aerial, usually simple, solid, rounded in cross section. Leaves bifacial, quadrangular, narrowly linear, canaliculate, not fetid, clothed at the base with several membranous sheaths. Flowers solitary, terminal, shortly pedicellate. Spathe valves 1–2, herbaceous at anthesis. Perigone in 2 rows, strongly differing in size and shape, fused in a short tube, slightly widened at the apex; falls erect-patent, oblong-lanceolate, panduriform, reflexed towards the upper part, gradually tapering into a short claw, smooth; standards inconspicuous, erect, obovate-lanceolate, long acuminate, usually narrowed into a canaliculate haft. Stamen filaments free, adnate to the fall bases. Ovary unilocular, tapering to apex, with parietal placentation. Style filiform, with 3 petaloid branches, about as long as falls, each one concealing a stamen; crests triangular-lanceolate, acute, ± straight; stigma bifid, with broad lobes. Capsule ovoid, acute, trigonous, dehiscing from apex to about middle, hidden among spathes, unbeaked; pericarp papery. Seeds numerous, globose, with whitish, gelatinous aril; testa hard, surface irregularly wrinkled. x = 10. Figs. 5A , 6H , 21E .

It includes 1 species (plus an additional variety), native to the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East, though widely cultivated and naturalised in southern and central Europe (plus the British Isles) and northern Africa; introduced in North America ( Fig. 19E ).

Figures

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

FIGURE 21. Habit and floral details. A) Zhaoanthus minutoaureus (Hooker 1910: t. 8293); B) Iridodictyum bakerianum (Foster 1889: t. 7084); C) Cryptobasis loczyi (photo: Georgy Lazkov); D) Cryptobasis mariae (photo: Elena Rahimova); E) Hermodactylus tuberosus (Syme 1869: t. 1496).