The MGS Forum

Plant identification => Plant identification => Topic started by: JTh on June 14, 2011, 04:53:23 PM

Title: Greek irises IDd as I. reichenbachii
Post by: JTh on June 14, 2011, 04:53:23 PM
Could anybody help me with identifying these irises which grow in the hills (500-600 m above sea level) behind our house in Halkidiki, Greece? They are rather small, mostly less than 25 cm tall, the flowers can be both yellow (sometimes with violet outer tepals) and violet, the stems are relatively  long, so I don't trhink they are I. attica, but I wonder if they could be I. reichenbachii. They grow in very dry, rocky areas, the photos were taken in late April.
Since I have problems with posting the photos, although they were all less tha 250 kb each, I am sending the  first now, the remaining in other messages
Title: Greek irises
Post by: JTh on June 14, 2011, 04:55:29 PM
Next photo, all yellow
Title: Greek irises
Post by: JTh on June 14, 2011, 04:56:21 PM
Yellow with violet outer tepals
Title: Greek irises
Post by: JTh on June 14, 2011, 04:58:06 PM
The last one, which is violet.
Title: Re: Greek irises
Post by: Alisdair on June 14, 2011, 05:24:21 PM
Nice photos, Jorun!
Looks very like I. reichenbachii, which is that size and does grow in your area. I think your identification is spot on.
I think Forum member Michael Campbell may have photographed this iris too, so may have a comment!
Title: Re: Greek irises
Post by: Alisdair on June 14, 2011, 05:30:37 PM
The second photo, all yellow, shows the very sharply reflexed falls with their thick beards, and the abrupt widening of the standards above the short hafts, which are among the characteristics of I. reichenbachii. Another nice sharp picture!
This iris spreads north-westwards from your part of Greece, into Macedonia and Serbia. I wish we had it in southern Greece!  8)









Title: Re: Greek irises
Post by: JTh on June 14, 2011, 09:21:17 PM
Thank you, Alisdair, nice to know for sure the name of this iris, which I think is beatiful. For some reason the third photo was not included in the message, so I'll attach again