Iris orchioides, the orchid iris, is a plant species in the genus Iris, and the subgenus Scorpiris. It is a bulbousperennial, from the mountains of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan. It has dark green leaves, slender stems, up to three yellow flowers in spring. It is cultivated as an ornamental plant in temperate regions.
Description
Iris orchioides grows up to 15 to 30cm (6 to 12in) tall.
Its stem is hidden by channeled leaves until the flowers fade.
It has between 5-7, dark green, broad leaves that grow up to 6–8 inches tall.
It has up to 3 yellow flowers on its stem. The flowers vary in shading, from deep yellow to creamy-yellow to a translucent pale yellow, between March and May.
It has a big winged haft (the narrow constricted part of the standards (petals) and falls (sepals) near the center of the iris flower) which are about 2-cm (1") wide. It also has hairs on the ridge of the falls (which are very similar in appearance to a beard (of a bearded iris). It has standards 1/2 an inch wide and linear.
It has cylindrical capsules and seeds without arils. These are similar to Iris bucharica and Iris warleyensis have cubiform seeds,
Taxonomy
In English, Iris orchioides is commonly called the 'orchid iris'. It is called "Ukrop" in its native Kazakh.
It was first published and described by French botanist Élie-Abel Carrière in 'Revue Horticole' (Paris) in 1880). It was listed in 1995 in 'Vascular plants of Russia and adjacent states (the former USSR)' by Czerepanov, S. K.
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous (rhizome and leaves). If ingested, it can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Handling the plant may cause a skin irritation or an allergic reaction.
