Subgenus Iris is one subgenus of Iris.
Iris as a plant was originally named by Carl Linnaeus in his book Systema Naturae (in 1735), with a great number of species being added into the genus. Including new ones that were found after the book's publication. The division of irises into various subgroups, has taken various forms over the years. By the 19th century botanists had created new genera such as Evansia, Hermodactylus, Moraea, Oncocyclus, and Xiphion. Opinion was often divided whether to split the genus into several parts or lump them back into Iris. From J. G. Baker, who separated some such as Moraea and Xiphion from Iris in his book 'Handbook of the Irideae' (published in London) in 1892. Then William R. Dykes, who clarified the situation by a compromise in his monograph The Genus Iris (by Cambridge University Press, 1913; later reprinted in 1974 by Dover). He was the first to term the subgroup as Iris sect. Iris. 's 1961 reclassification in The Genus Iris (written in Russian, Moscow, 1961) was more comprehensive in that he split the genus into five genera: Iris (which included all rhizomatous irises). A taxonomic revision by Brian Mathew in 1981 (The iris, New York: Universe Books), recognized six subgenera: Nepalensis Dykes, Xiphium (Miller) Spach, Scorpiris Spach, Hermodactyloides Spach, Iris L. and Limniris Tausch. Recently, DNA analysis has been used to determine groupings.
Taxonomy The subgenus Iris subg. Iris is an autonym.Iris L. subg. Iris. (n.d.). Australian National Species List (auNSL). Retrieved February 8, 2025, from https://biodiversity.org.au/nsl/services/rest/name/apni/77600 It has been divided into six sections:USDA, Agricultural Research Service, National Plant Germplasm System. 2025. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN Taxonomy). National Germplasm Resources Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland. URL: https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomygenus?type=subgenus&id=19542. Accessed 8 February 2025.
Iris sect. Hexapogon Iris sect. Iris Iris sect. Oncocyclus Iris sect. Psammiris Iris sect. Pseudoregelia Iris sect. Regelia
Sections Oncocyclus and Regelia are also called aril irises.
Section bearded irises (or pogon irises)
This is the largest section of the subgenus, the true bearded irises. Most irises come from Southern or eastern Europe. 'Pogon' refers to the Greek word for beard. It has several species of iris including; Image Scientific name Distribution Iris adriatica CroatiaIris albertii Kazakhstan Iris alexeenkoi AzerbaijanIris aphylla —stool iris, table iris, leafless iris. Azerbaijan, Russian Federation, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Belarus, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Albania, Former Yugoslavia, Italy, Romania and France.Iris attica North Macedonia, Turkey, Greece Iris benacensis ItalyIris bicapitata Italy Iris calabra ItalyIris florentina — white flag Iris, white cemetery iris. Saudi Arabia, Yemen Iris furcata —forked iris. Turkey, UkraineIris × germanica —German iris (I. pallida × I. variegata). Balkan PeninsulaIris glaucescens Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and China Iris griffithii Afghanistan Iris hellenica GreeceIris imbricata Iran, Armenia, Azerbaijan and GeorgiaIris junonia TurkeyIris kashmiriana IndiaIris lutescens (including I. italica) Spain, Southern France and ItalyIris marsica ItalyIris orjenii —Orjen iris Montenegro and Bosnia and HerzegovinaIris pallida —sweet iris, Dalmatian iris CroatiaIris pallida subsp. illyrica endemic to Balkan Peninsula.Iris pallida subsp. cengialti Iris cengialti Italy Iris perrieri France, ItalyIris pseudopumila Italy, Sicily, MaltaIris pumila Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Central European Russia, Czechoslovakia, East European Russia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Krym, North Caucasus, Romania, South European Russia, Transcaucasus, Ukraine Iris relicta ItalyIris reichenbachii —Reichenbach's iris Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia, North Macedonia, and Greece Iris revoluta ItalyIris scariosa Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia and ChinaIris schachtii Turkey Iris sicula —Mesopotamian iris Iraq, Turkey, Syria and IsraelIris suaveolens (including I. iliensis) Bulgaria, Romania, Albania, Macedonia, Turkey, and Greece. Iris taochia Turkey Iris timofejewii Russia (Dagestan)Iris variegata —Hungarian iris Austria, Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Romania, Ukraine, Yugoslavia
It also includes thousands of ornamental plant cultivars, which have been divided into various height categories. MDB – Miniature dwarf bearded SDB – Standard dwarf bearded IB – Intermediate bearded BB – Border bearded MTB – Miniature tall bearded TB – Tall bearded
Psammiris This section of irises was first described by Spach. Most of the Irises come from Russia and Northwest China. Mostly rhizomatous, and flowering in late spring. 'Psammiris' is derived from the Greek word for sand. The type species for this section is Iris arenaria
It includes; Image Scientific name Distribution Iris arenaria Waldst. 1801 and Kit.Hungary, Austria, Romania, Czech Republic and Ukraine. Iris bloudowii Bunge. 1830 Russia (Siberia), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, China (Xinjiang) Iris curvifolia ZhaoBritish Iris Society 1982 China (Xinjiang) Iris humilis Georgi 1775China ( Heilongjiang, Jilin, Nei Monggol, Ningxia and Xinjiang), Russia (Buryatia, Chita, Irkutsk, Magadan, Primorye and Tuva.), Mongolia, Japan, Austria, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Kazakhstan, and Romania Iris kamelinii Alexeeva 2006 Mongolia Iris mandshurica Maxim. 1880 China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning), Korea, Russia Iris potaninii Maxim. 1880 Russia (Siberia), Mongolia and China (Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Xizang ) Iris vorobievii N.S.Pavlova 1987Russia (Primorye, Primorsky Krai)
Oncocyclus
Oncocyclus irises are rhizomatous perennials. They also generally need rich soils that drain easy and are in full sun. Most also prefer a dry period after flowering.Christopher Brickell The Oncocyclus irises are mostly from Turkey, Caucasus and Iran. The plants usually have only one flower, which is veined or spotted. Some of these species have been bred with bearded irises to create unique colours and markings. Oncocyclus is a Greek word, with onco meaning mass, or bulk, and cyclus meaning circle. In 1846, the term 'Oncocyclus' was first used by C.H. Siemssen as the Genus Oncocyclus in 1846 in Botanische Zeitung. Baker then re-classified it to a subgenus in 1877, than Dykes lowered it to a section in 1914, where it currently remains. Image Scientific name Distribution Iris acutiloba C.A.Mey. 1831 (including I. ewbankiana )Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Dagestan, Iran Iris antilibanotica Dinsmore 1933 publ. 1934Syria Iris assadiana Chaudhary, Kirkw. & C.Weymolauth 1975 publ. 1976Syria Iris auranitica Dinsmore 1933 publ. 1934Syria Iris atrofusca Bak. 1889Israel, Palestine, and Jordan. Iris atropurpurea Bak. 1889Israel Iris barnumiae Bak. & Fost. Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey. Iris basaltica Dinsmore 1933 publ. 1934Iran, Iraq, Lebanon-Syria, Turkey Iris bismarckiana Reg. 1890 – Nazareth iris Israel, Lebanon, Jordan and Syria Iris bostrensis Mouterde 1955 Syria and Jordan Iris camillae Grossh. 1928 Azerbaijan Iris cedreti Dinsm. ex Chaudhary 1972 Lebanon Iris damascena Mouterde 1966 Syria (Jabl Qasyoun) Iris gatesii Foster 1890Turkey and Iraq Iris grossheimii Woronow ex Grossh. 1928Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan.] Iris haynei Baker 1876 – Gilboa iris Israel and Palestine Iris heylandiana Boiss. & Reut. 1882 Iraq Iris hermona Dinsmore 1933 publ. 1934 – Hermon iris Israel and Syria. Iris iberica Hoffm. 1808 Armenia, eastern Georgia, and western Azerbaijan. Iris kirkwoodi Chaudhary 1972 (including I. calcarea) Syria and Turkey Iris lortetii Barbey ex Boiss. 1882 Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and Syria Iris mariae Barbey. 1891 Israel, Egypt and Palestine Iris meda Stapf 1885Iran and Azerbaijan. Iris nigricans Dinsm. 1933 publ. 1934 Jordan Iris paradoxa Steven 1817 Iran, Turkey, Armenia and in Azerbaijan. Iris petrana Dinsm. 1933 publ. 1934 Jordan and Israel. Iris sari Schott ex Bak. 1876Turkey Iris susiana L. 1753 – mourning iris Lebanon, Syria and Turkey Iris westii Dinsm. 1933 publ. 1934Lebanon Iris yebrudii Dinsm. ex Chaud. 1972Syria Regelia
Mostly from the mountainous regions of Iran, Afghanistan and the Altai Mountains. Most irises have a stem that has 2 flowers. It was named in 1904 by Robert Lynch in his book The Book of The Iris after Dr Regel. The type species for this section is Iris korolkowii Image Scientific name Distribution Iris afghanica Wend 1972Afghanistan Iris darwasica Regel 1884Tajikistan and northern Afghanistan Iris heweri Grey-Wilson & B. Mathew 1974Afghanistan. Iris hoogiana Dykes 1916Turkestan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan Iris korolkowii RegelAfghanistan and Uzbekistan Iris kuschkensis Grey-Wilson & B. Mathew 1974Afghanistan. Iris lineata Foster ex Regel 1887 Tajikistan and Afghanistan Iris stolonifera Maxim. 1880 Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Afghanistan
Hybrids of Regelia irises and Oncocyclus irises are known as Regelicyclous.Christopher Brickell
Hexapogon Mostly from the desert area of Central Asia, Iran and Afghanistan. The type species for this section is Iris falcifolia Most irises have beards on the falls and standards. Etymologically, hexa refers to the number 6 and pogon refers to the Greek word for beard. Image Scientific name Distribution Iris falcifolia Bunge 1852Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan. Iris longiscapa Ledeb. 1852Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan
Pseudoregelia Mostly from the mountainous regions of Eastern Asia. Most irises have flowers that have blotches or colour spots on. The type species for this section is Iris tigridia Image Scientific name Distribution Iris cuniculiformis Noltie & K.Y.Guan 1995China (Sichuan, Yunnan) Iris dolichosiphon Noltie 1990China (Sichuan, Xizang, Yunnan), Bhutan, India and Myanmar Iris goniocarpa Bak. 1876 China (Gansu, Hubei, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Yunnan, Xizang), Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, India (Sikkim) Iris hookeriana Fost. 1887Pakistan (Chitral, Swat, Gilgit, Hazara), India (Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir). Iris ivanovae Doronkin 1987 Russia, China, and Mongolia Iris kemaonensis Wall. 1839China (Xizang), Bhutan, India (Kashmir) and Nepal Iris leptophylla Lingelsheim 1922China (Gansu, Sichuan) Iris narcissiflora Diels. 1924China (Sichuan) Iris psammocola Y.T.Zhao 1992China (Ningxia) Iris sikkimensis Dykes 1913 (Iris hookeriana x Iris kumaonensis.) India (Sikkim) Iris tigridia Bunge ex Ledeb. 1829 China(Gansu, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Nei Mongol, Qinghai, Shanxi, Sichuan), Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia
References