Iris narbutii
Template:Italic titleTemplate:Taxobox Iris narbutii is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Scorpiris. It is a bulbous perennial. It is sometimes misspelt as 'Iris narbuti'.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
It was first published as 'Juno Narbutii' by Olga Fedtschenko in 'Izvestiya Imperatorskago Obscestva Ljubitelej Estestvoznanija, Antropologii i Etnografii, Sostojascago pri (Imperatorskom) Moskovskom Universitete' in 1902.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It was later published as 'Iris Narbutii' by Boris Fedtschenko in Bull. Jard. Bot. St. Petersb. Vol.V page157 in 1905.<ref name=FloraofUSSR>Template:Cite web</ref>
Iris narbutii is now an accepted name by the RHS.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
It is listed in 1995 in 'Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR)' by Czerepanov, S. K.<ref>Template:Google books</ref>
It may have been named after 'Narbuta Beg'(1774-1798), a grandson of 'Abd al-Karim' (Khanate of Kokand) of the Fergana Valley, Central Asia, where the iris was found.<ref>Ahmad Hasan Dani and Vadim Mikhaĭlovich Masson (Editors) Template:Google books</ref>
It can be seen growing in the 'Le Grand Clos Botanique Garden' in Bourgueil, France.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
It can be cultivated in pots,<ref name=irisbotanique>Template:Cite web</ref> or in well drained soils in sunshine (like other Juno irises).<ref name=October>Template:Cite web</ref>
Habit
Iris narbutii has a brown bulb with papery tunic,<ref name=irisbotanique/> the bulb is approx. Template:Convert in diameter.<ref name=onego>Template:Cite web</ref> It has thickened roots,<ref name=FloraofUSSR/> which look similar to fat short pointed tubers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
One of the shorter Juno irises, similar to Iris Lepthoriza,<ref name=irisbotanique/> only growing to a height of Template:Cvt.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/><ref name=October/><ref name=cassidy>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=american/>
It blooms in early-mid spring,<ref name=onego/> flowering between January to April depending on the weather conditions.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/><ref name=irisbotanique/><ref name=October/> It has 1 or 2 scentless flowers per bulb stem.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/><ref name=onego/><ref name=cassidy/>
The flowers come in a range of shades between greenish-yellow to pale violet.<ref name=irisbotanique/><ref name=October/><ref name=cassidy/> The green-purple perianth tube is about Template:Cvt long.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/><ref name=onego/> It has standards (Template:Cvt) that hang downwards.<ref name=October/><ref name=american>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=pacific>Template:Cite web</ref> It has falls that start upright, but then the blade bends downwards, with a dark violet blotch at the tip. They have a raised white crest surrounded by a yellow zone/area.<ref name=irisbotanique/><ref name=October/><ref name=cassidy/><ref name=american/><ref name=pacific/> The yellow zone can sometimes have a dark purple ring around it.<ref name=onego/>
It has whitish pollen.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/>
The thin, channelled dark green leaves emerge before the flowers, they are 5–25 mm wide (close to the base of the plant).<ref name=FloraofUSSR/><ref name=October/><ref name=onego/> They gradually narrow to an apex (falcate-like, lanceolate)<ref name=irisbotanique/> and have a very visible white edging/margin.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/>
Native
Iris narbutii is from Central Asia.<ref name=cassidy/><ref name=pacific/> Originally found on the slopes of Syr-Darya river valley.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/><ref name=american/>
It is found on the rocky, gravelly slopes of the mountains of western Tien Shan and southern Pamir Mountains.<ref name=onego/> Also seen near to Samarkand and Tashkent.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/>
Olga Fedtschenko had speculated that the plants from west Tien Shan, could be a separate species, due to their paler colour.<ref name=FloraofUSSR/>
In Chulbair Mountains, Uzbekistan, it is a threatened species and close to extinction.<ref name=irisbotanique/>
Known hybrids
- Iris narbutii 'Kara Kaga'<ref name=pacific/>
In Russia, Vvedenskii had noted several natural hybrids including; J. narbutii x J maracandica (near Jizzak, Uzbekistan), J. narbutii x J. Orchioides and J. narbutii x J. subdecolorata (near Darbaza, Kazakhstan).<ref name=onego/>
References
External links
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