The Iris family or
Iridaceae is a
familyIn biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
of perennial,
herbaceousA herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
and bulbous plants included in the monocot
orderIn scientific classification used in biology, the order is# a taxonomic rank used in the classification of organisms. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, family, genus, and species, with order fitting in between class and family...
AsparagalesAsparagales is the name of an order of plants, used in modern classification systems such as the APG III system . The order takes its name from the family Asparagaceae and is placed in the monocots. The order has only recently been recognized in classification systems...
, taking its name from the
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
IrisIris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
. Almost worldwide in distribution and one of the most important families in
horticultureHorticulture is the industry and science of plant cultivation including the process of preparing soil for the planting of seeds, tubers, or cuttings. Horticulturists work and conduct research in the disciplines of plant propagation and cultivation, crop production, plant breeding and genetic...
, it includes more than 2000
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
. Genera such as
CrocusCrocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
and
Iris are significant components of the floras of parts of
EurasiaEurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
, and
Iris also is well-represented in
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
.
GladiolusGladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
and
MoraeaMoraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore.The technical botanical material in this entry is abstracted largely from “The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”-Description:...
are large genera and major constituents of the flora of sub-
SaharanThe term Saharan is used in the English language to denote someone or something from the Sahara desert, including:* Sahrawi , referring to the people of the Western Sahara* Saharan languages, a subgroup of the Nilo-Saharan languages...
and
Southern AfricaSouthern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
.
Sisyrinchium, with more than 140
speciesIn biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
, is the most diversified Iridaceae
genusIn biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
in the Americas, where several other genera occur, many of them important in tropical horticulture.
All members of Iridaceae have
petalPetals are modified leaves that surround the reproductive parts of flowers. They often are brightly colored or unusually shaped to attract pollinators. Together, all of the petals of a flower are called a corolla. Petals are usually accompanied by another set of special leaves called sepals lying...
oid, soft-textured and colorful
perianthThe term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
s in which the three
tepalTepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s of the inner whorl and the three of the outer whorl are alike in structure, shape, and often in color. This type of corolla, a feature of all families of Asparagales as well as the related order
LilialesLiliales is an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. This order of necessity includes the family Liliaceae, but both the family and the order have had a widely disputed history, with the circumscription varying greatly from one taxonomist to another...
, distinguishes them from other monocots, such as grasses, palms or reeds, in which the perianth is either reduced or with the members of one or both of the whorls firm-textured and dry and often brown or green. The character that sets Iridaceae apart from other plants of the Asparagales or from the Liliales, is the male part of the
flowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
, the androecium, which has three
stamenThe stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
s—in most related families there are six. Another character that distinguish Iridaceae from most other members of the Asparagales is its inferior ovary, the ovary being superior in most families, with the exception of
OrchidaceaeThe Orchidaceae, commonly referred to as the orchid family, is a morphologically diverse and widespread family of monocots in the order Asparagales. Along with the Asteraceae, it is one of the two largest families of flowering plants, with between 21,950 and 26,049 currently accepted species,...
and
AmaryllidaceaeAmaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
. Apart from their flowers, the Iridaceae can usually be recognized by their characteristic leaves, sword-like and oriented edgewise to the
stemA stem is one of two main structural axes of a vascular plant. The stem is normally divided into nodes and internodes, the nodes hold buds which grow into one or more leaves, inflorescence , conifer cones, roots, other stems etc. The internodes distance one node from another...
and with two identical surfaces. Such leaves are termed
isobilateral and
unifacial. In contrast to the Irids, typical plant leaves – termed
dorsiventral and
bifacial – have upper and lower surfaces of different appearance and anatomy.
The Iridaceae originated in
Antarctica-
AustralasiaAustralasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
in the
late CretaceousThe Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
, about 82 million years ago, although the family's subsequent radiation occurred elsewhere, notably in southern Africa and temperate and highland South America, at the end of the
EoceneThe Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
or later.
Currently, 66 genera are recognized, which are distributed among 7 subfamilies and occur in a great variety of habitats. Most species are adapted to
seasonA season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
al climates that have a pronounced dry or cold period unfavourable for plant growth, during which the plants remain dormant. As a result, most species are
deciduousDeciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
, in that their above-ground parts (leaves and stems) die down when the
bulbA bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
or
cormA corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
enters
dormancyDormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be closely associated with environmental conditions...
. The plants thus survive periods that are unfavourable for growth by retreating underground. Evergreen species are restricted to subtropical forests or
savannahSavannah or savanna is a type of grassland.It can also mean:-People:* Savannah King, a Canadian freestyle swimmer* Savannah Outen, a singer who gained popularity on You Tube...
, temperate grasslands and perennially moist
fynbosFynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
.
Description
In the Iridaceae the
perianthThe term perianth has two similar but separate meanings in botany:* In flowering plants, the perianth are the outer, sterile whorls of a flower...
is formed of two whorls of three
tepalTepals are elements of the perianth, or outer part of a flower, which include the petals or sepals. The term tepal is more often applied specifically when all segments of the perianth are of similar shape and color, or undifferentiated, which is called perigone...
s, all similar in structure, shape, and often color. Such a corolla differentiates
LilialesLiliales is an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. This order of necessity includes the family Liliaceae, but both the family and the order have had a widely disputed history, with the circumscription varying greatly from one taxonomist to another...
and Asparagales from other monocots, where the number or size of the tepals are reduced, or where at least one whorl is papyraceous (firm and dry like a
papyrusPapyrus is a thick paper-like material produced from the pith of the papyrus plant, Cyperus papyrus, a wetland sedge that was once abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt....
), and usually green or brown. The characters that differentiate Iridaceae, however, are its three
stamenThe stamen is the pollen producing reproductive organ of a flower...
(related families such as
AlliaceaeAllioideae is the botanical name of a monocot subfamily of flowering plants in the family Amaryllidaceae, order Asparagales. It was formerly treated as a separate family, Alliaceae...
and
AmaryllidaceaeAmaryllidoideae is the subfamily of flowering plants that takes its name from the genus Amaryllis. It is part of the family Amaryllidaceae, in order Asparagales...
have six) and an inferior ovary. Sword-like leaves parallel to the stem and with normally undifferentiated sides (termed "isobilateral" and "unifacial") are another distinctive feature.
Members of Iridaceae are
herbsA herbaceous plant is a plant that has leaves and stems that die down at the end of the growing season to the soil level. They have no persistent woody stem above ground...
or, in a few cases,
shrubA shrub or bush is distinguished from a tree by its multiple stems and shorter height, usually under 5–6 m tall. A large number of plants may become either shrubs or trees, depending on the growing conditions they experience...
s with woody
caudexA caudex is a form of stem morphology appearing as a thickened, short, perennial stem that is either underground or near ground level . It may be swollen for the purpose of water storage, especially in xerophytes...
. They are almost all
perennialA perennial plant or simply perennial is a plant that lives for more than two years. The term is often used to differentiate a plant from shorter lived annuals and biennials. The term is sometimes misused by commercial gardeners or horticulturalists to describe only herbaceous perennials...
(three
Sisyrinchium species are
annualsAn annual plant is a plant that usually germinates, flowers, and dies in a year or season. True annuals will only live longer than a year if they are prevented from setting seed...
) that may be either
evergreenIn botany, an evergreen plant is a plant that has leaves in all seasons. This contrasts with deciduous plants, which completely lose their foliage during the winter or dry season.There are many different kinds of evergreen plants, both trees and shrubs...
or seasonal. The rootstock is a
rhizomeIn botany and dendrology, a rhizome is a characteristically horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found underground, often sending out roots and shoots from its nodes...
,
bulbA bulb is a short stem with fleshy leaves or leaf bases. The leaves often function as food storage organs during dormancy.A bulb's leaf bases, known as scales, generally do not support leaves, but contain food reserves to enable the plant to survive adverse conditions. At the center of the bulb is...
, or
cormA corm is a short, vertical, swollen underground plant stem that serves as a storage organ used by some plants to survive winter or other adverse conditions such as summer drought and heat ....
. The leaves are found both at the base and on the stem, usually alternate, with the blade oriented parallel to the stem and thus sheathing it at the base. This results in the characteristic fan-like arrangement found in genera like
Iris. This type of leaf lacks distinct upper and lower leaf surfaces. In many South African species the leaf has a thickened midrib and often variously thickened or winged margins that may also be crisped. In some species the leaves are needle-like with narrow longitudinal grooves. Species of
MoraeaMoraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore.The technical botanical material in this entry is abstracted largely from “The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”-Description:...
are unusual in the family in having channeled leaves with a distinct upper and lower surface.
FlowerA flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
s may be either actinomorphic or zygomorphic. Almost all the parts are in threes, starting with two equal whorls of three usually large and showy petal-like tepals, distinct or fused in a tube. There are three stamens (rarely two), and their filaments are often partly to completely fused. Anthers have two pollen sacs opening toward the outside, or from their side, and usually along their length. The
ovaryIn the flowering plants, an ovary is a part of the female reproductive organ of the flower or gynoecium. Specifically, it is the part of the pistil which holds the ovule and is located above or below or at the point of connection with the base of the petals and sepals...
is located below the tepals (except in
IsophysisIsophysis is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and rhizomatous plants in the Iris family . A monotypic genus, it contains a single species, Isophysis tasmanica , endemic to the mountains of Western Tasmania growing in heathland on sandy soils. It has grass-like foliage and star-like dark...
) with axile (rarely parietal)
placentationIn biology, placentation refers to the formation, type and structure, or arrangement of placentas. The function of placentation is to transfer nutrients from maternal tissue to a growing embryo...
in three locules. There is a single style branching into three at the top. Iridaceae do not present unisexual flowers, and all flowers have both a style and stamen. Most members other than
Sisyrinchium produce nectar from nectaries at the base of the tepals, or on the
gynoeciumGynoecium is most commonly used as a collective term for all carpels in a flower. A carpel is the ovule and seed producing reproductive organ in flowering plants. Carpels are derived from ovule-bearing leaves which evolved to form a closed structure containing the ovules...
. Iridaceae species are usually pollinated by insects or birds. The flowers are collectively arranged in two different types of
inflorescenceAn inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
s. Simple or branched
spikeA raceme is a type of inflorescence that is unbranched and indeterminate and bears pedicellate flowers — flowers having short floral stalks called pedicels — along the axis. In botany, axis means a shoot, in this case one bearing the flowers. In a raceme, the oldest flowers are borne...
s occur in all
CrocoideaeCrocoideae is one of the major subfamilies in the Iridaceae family.It contains plants which are wildly distributed in the Old world, mainly in Africa, but there are species like some members of the genera Romulea and Gladiolus which are native to Europe and Asia...
. In other subfamilies the basic inflorescence unit is a type of zig-zagging cyme called
rhipidiumAn inflorescence is a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. Strictly, it is the part of the shoot of seed plants where flowers are formed and which is accordingly modified...
, which is enclosed in enlarged, opposed,
bractIn botany, a bract is a modified or specialized leaf, especially one associated with a reproductive structure such as a flower, inflorescence axis, or cone scale. Bracts are often different from foliage leaves. They may be smaller, larger, or of a different color, shape, or texture...
s called spathes.
The
fruitIn broad terms, a fruit is a structure of a plant that contains its seeds.The term has different meanings dependent on context. In non-technical usage, such as food preparation, fruit normally means the fleshy seed-associated structures of certain plants that are sweet and edible in the raw state,...
is a dry
capsuleIn botany a capsule is a type of simple, dry fruit produced by many species of flowering plants. A capsule is a structure composed of two or more carpels that in most cases is dehiscent, i.e. at maturity, it splits apart to release the seeds within. A few capsules are indehiscent, for example...
, usually splitting along three sides spontaneously at maturity. It is very variable in shape and texture, from firm to cartilaginous, occasionally woody. In most genera they are tetrahedral or variously angled and without obvious adaptations for dispersal. Seeds are also varied in shape. Winged seeds adapted to wind dispersal characterize
GladiolusGladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
and
TritoniopsisTritoniopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name refers to the African genus Trionia and is combined with the Greek word opsis, meaning "look-alike"....
and also occur in some species of
HesperanthaHesperantha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words hesperos, meaning "evening", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
. Globular seeds with shiny coats that are relatively long-lived occur in several genera of Crocoideae.
Chasmanthe aethiopica has fleshy seeds adapted to dispersal by birds and several other species that grow in more wooded places – like
ChasmantheChasmanthe is a genus of flowering plants in the iris familywhich originate from South Africa. In their native habitat the flowers are pollinated by sunbirds...
and some freesias – have reddish or black seeds that mimic fleshy seeds. They have a hard
endospermEndosperm is the tissue produced inside the seeds of most flowering plants around the time of fertilization. It surrounds the embryo and provides nutrition in the form of starch, though it can also contain oils and protein. This makes endosperm an important source of nutrition in human diet...
, with reserves of
hemicelluloseA hemicellulose is any of several heteropolymers , such as arabinoxylans, present along with cellulose in almost all plant cell walls. While cellulose is crystalline, strong, and resistant to hydrolysis, hemicellulose has a random, amorphous structure with little strength...
,
oilAn oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
, and
proteinProteins are biochemical compounds consisting of one or more polypeptides typically folded into a globular or fibrous form, facilitating a biological function. A polypeptide is a single linear polymer chain of amino acids bonded together by peptide bonds between the carboxyl and amino groups of...
, and a small
embryoAn embryo is a multicellular diploid eukaryote in its earliest stage of development, from the time of first cell division until birth, hatching, or germination...
.
Distribution and habitat
Members of the Iridaceae are nearly worldwide in distribution, but remain rare in tropical lowlands and at high latitudes. The family is best represented in
Southern AfricaSouthern Africa is the southernmost region of the African continent, variably defined by geography or geopolitics. Within the region are numerous territories, including the Republic of South Africa ; nowadays, the simpler term South Africa is generally reserved for the country in English.-UN...
, especially the winter-rainfall region in the southwest. Other centers of diversity are
temperateIn geography, temperate or tepid latitudes of the globe lie between the tropics and the polar circles. The changes in these regions between summer and winter are generally relatively moderate, rather than extreme hot or cold...
South and Central America (with several small genera) and the Mediterranean region (
Iris and
CrocusCrocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
). About 2000 species are distributed among some 65 genera are recognized worldwide, just over half of them from Southern Africa, where 38 genera are known. In the Cape Floral Region alone, 707 species and 27 genera are recorded.
The family prefers open, seasonal habitats. In Africa, the montane grasslands of eastern
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
,
SwazilandSwaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
and
LesothoLesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, and the
Succulent KarooThe Succulent Karoo is a desert ecoregion of South Africa and Namibia.-Setting:The Succulent Karoo stretches along the coastal strip of southwestern Namibia and South Africa's Northern Cape Province, where the cold Benguela Current offshore creates frequent fogs. The ecoregion extends inland into...
and
fynbosFynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
of the
NorthernThe Northern Cape is the largest and most sparsely populated province of South Africa. It was created in 1994 when the Cape Province was split up. Its capital is Kimberley. It includes the Kalahari Gemsbok National Park, part of an international park shared with Botswana...
and
Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
have the most species. Fewer species occur in
savannaA savanna, or savannah, is a grassland ecosystem characterized by the trees being sufficiently small or widely spaced so that the canopy does not close. The open canopy allows sufficient light to reach the ground to support an unbroken herbaceous layer consisting primarily of C4 grasses.Some...
s or the semi-arid central
karooThe Karoo is a semi-desert region of South Africa. It has two main sub-regions - the Great Karoo in the north and the Little Karoo in the south. The 'High' Karoo is one of the distinct physiographic provinces of the larger South African Platform division.-Great Karoo:The Great Karoo has an area of...
, and very few in forests. The species grows in a variety of soils, derived from
basaltBasalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
,
clayClay is a general term including many combinations of one or more clay minerals with traces of metal oxides and organic matter. Geologic clay deposits are mostly composed of phyllosilicate minerals containing variable amounts of water trapped in the mineral structure.- Formation :Clay minerals...
, dolerite,
graniteGranite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
,
limestoneLimestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
and
sandstoneSandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
, as well as rarer rocks like serpentine. Most species favor
loamy soilsLoam is soil composed of sand, silt, and clay in relatively even concentration . Loam soils generally contain more nutrients and humus than sandy soils, have better infiltration and drainage than silty soils, and are easier to till than clay soils...
, often among rocks where drainage is good, but some grow in marshes and others in pure sand. Species grow from just above the high tide mark to over 3000 metres (9,843 ft) above sea level.
Taxonomy
The family name is based on the genus
IrisIris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
, the largest and best known genus in Europe.
Iris dates from 1753, when it was named by Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus. Its name derives from the Greek goddess,
IrisIn Greek mythology, Iris is the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods. As the sun unites Earth and heaven, Iris links the gods to humanity...
, who carried messages from
OlympusMount Olympus is the highest mountain in Greece, located on the border between Thessaly and Macedonia, about 100 kilometres away from Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city. Mount Olympus has 52 peaks. The highest peak Mytikas, meaning "nose", rises to 2,917 metres...
to earth along a rainbow, whose colors were seen by Linnaeus in the multi-hued petals of many of the species. The family name is attributed to
Antoine Laurent de JussieuAntoine Laurent de Jussieu was a French botanist, notable as the first to propose a natural classification of flowering plants; much of his system remains in use today.-Life:...
's 1789
Genera Plantarum, secundum ordines naturales disposita juxta methodum in Horto Regio Parisiensi exaratam, and is a
conserved nameA conserved name or nomen conservandum is a scientific name that has specific nomenclatural protection. Nomen conservandum is a Latin term, meaning a "name which should be conserved"...
, so that even if an earlier name were to be discovered for the family, Iridaceae would remain valid.
The family has been accepted in all major
classificationBiological classification, or scientific classification in biology, is a method to group and categorize organisms by biological type, such as genus or species. Biological classification is part of scientific taxonomy....
systems of the 20th century. The
Cronquist systemThe Cronquist system is a taxonomic classification system of flowering plants. It was developed by Arthur Cronquist in his texts An Integrated System of Classification of Flowering Plants and The Evolution and Classification of Flowering Plants .Cronquist's system places flowering plants into two...
treated it as part of the order
LilialesLiliales is an order of monocotyledonous flowering plants. This order of necessity includes the family Liliaceae, but both the family and the order have had a widely disputed history, with the circumscription varying greatly from one taxonomist to another...
of the subclass Liliidae, the
Takhtajan systemA system of plant taxonomy, the Takhtajan system of plant classification was published by Armen Takhtajan, in several versions from the 1950s onwards. It is usually compared to the Cronquist system. Key publications:-External links:* Takhtajan system at...
placed it in an order Iridales, together with Isophysidaceae and Geosiridaceae treated as single-genus families, and the Thorne system treated it as part of the order
OrchidalesOrchidales is a botanical name of an order of flowering plants. In taxonomical systems, this is a relatively recent name as early systems used descriptive botanical names for the order containing the orchids. The Bentham & Hooker and the Engler systems had the orchids in order Microspermae while...
in its own suborder, Iridineae. The
Angiosperm Phylogeny GroupThe Angiosperm Phylogeny Group, or APG, refers to an informal international group of systematic botanists who came together to try to establish a consensus on the taxonomy of flowering plants that would reflect new knowledge about plant relationships discovered through phylogenetic studies., three...
in 1998 and 2003 (
APGAPG is an abbreviation with several different meanings:* Aberdeen Proving Ground, a United States Army installation in Aberdeen, Maryland, also**Phillips Army Airfield, the airfield of the above, from its IATA airport code...
and APG II, respectively) system of flowering plant classification organizes flowering plants into a "selected number of monophyletic suprafamilial groups" and placed Iridaceae in the order
AsparagalesAsparagales is the name of an order of plants, used in modern classification systems such as the APG III system . The order takes its name from the family Asparagaceae and is placed in the monocots. The order has only recently been recognized in classification systems...
, which was part of a
cladeA clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
called "Non Commelinoid Monocots".
Evolution and phylogeny
The Iridaceae differentiated in the
late CretaceousThe Late Cretaceous is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretaceous period is divided in the geologic timescale. Rock strata from this epoch form the Upper Cretaceous series...
, about 82 million years ago, and diverged from the next most closely related family, the
DoryanthaceaeDoryanthaceae is the botanical name of a family of flowering plants, placed in the order Asparagales of the monocots.The family has only recently been recognized by taxonomists. The APG III system of 2009 does recognize this family...
, during the
CampanianThe Campanian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the fifth of six ages of the Late Cretaceous epoch . The Campanian spans the time from 83.5 ± 0.7 Ma to 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma ...
. The Tasmanian
IsophysisIsophysis is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and rhizomatous plants in the Iris family . A monotypic genus, it contains a single species, Isophysis tasmanica , endemic to the mountains of Western Tasmania growing in heathland on sandy soils. It has grass-like foliage and star-like dark...
is the only extant member of the
cladeA clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
sister to the remainder of the Iridaceae, from which it may have diverged 66 million years ago, in the
MaastrichtianThe Maastrichtian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, the latest age or upper stage of the Late Cretaceous epoch or Upper Cretaceous series, the Cretaceous period or system, and of the Mesozoic era or erathem. It spanned from 70.6 ± 0.6 Ma to 65.5 ± 0.3 Ma...
. The Iridaceae originated in
Antarctica-
AustralasiaAustralasia is a region of Oceania comprising Australia, New Zealand, the island of New Guinea, and neighbouring islands in the Pacific Ocean. The term was coined by Charles de Brosses in Histoire des navigations aux terres australes...
, although its subsequent radiation occurred elsewhere, notably in southern Africa and temperate and highland South America at the end of the
EoceneThe Eocene Epoch, lasting from about 56 to 34 million years ago , is a major division of the geologic timescale and the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the Cenozoic Era. The Eocene spans the time from the end of the Palaeocene Epoch to the beginning of the Oligocene Epoch. The start of the...
or later.
PaleopolyploidyPaleopolyploidy refers to ancient genome duplications which occurred at least several million years ago . The genome doubling event could either be an autopolyploidy or an allopolyploidy. Due to functional redundancy, genes are rapidly silenced and/or lost from the duplicated genomes...
was important in the early diversification of Iridaceae since many genera have basic
chromosomeA chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
numbers which are derived from ancestors with fewer chromosomes. The appearance of
polyploidyPolyploid is a term used to describe cells and organisms containing more than two paired sets of chromosomes. Most eukaryotic species are diploid, meaning they have two sets of chromosomes — one set inherited from each parent. However polyploidy is found in some organisms and is especially common...
is important in Northern Hemisphere genera, especially
Iris and
Crocus, but has an unusually low frequency in Africa, the center of diversity for the family. Changes in basic number, frequent in a few genera, are the result of
Robertsonian translocationRobertsonian translocation is a common form of chromosomal rearrangement that in humans occurs in the five acrocentric chromosome pairs, namely 13, 14, 15, 21, and 22. Other translocations occur but do not lead to a viable fetus. They are named after the American biologist William Rees Brebner...
s which led to a reduction in the number of chromosomes. In all but a few possible examples, accompanying morphological specialization suggests that reduction in the number of chromosomes (dysploid reduction) is involved in gradual changes in base number. Major dysploid series are restricted to a few genera, such as
RomuleaRomulea is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family distributed in Europe, the Mediterranean, and South Africa. The genus name refers to the legendary Rome founder Romulus, and alludes to the abundance of one of the species in the Roman countryside.Some of the species:*...
, the related
Crocus as well as
GladiolusGladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
and
Lapeirousia (all members of subfamily Crocoideae), and
Iris,
Moraea, and
Sisyrinchium (Iridoideae). Complex
translocation heterozygoteIn genetics, a chromosome translocation is a chromosome abnormality caused by rearrangement of parts between nonhomologous chromosomes. A gene fusion may be created when the translocation joins two otherwise separated genes, the occurrence of which is common in cancer. It is detected on...
s have been discovered in three species of
HomeriaHomeria, commonly known as Cape tulips, is a genus of the botanical family Iridaceae, which has 32 species of corm-bearing perennial herbs. In addition, these plants are used as ornamental plants...
(currently included in
GladiolusGladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
), a genus from South Africa. In these species, almost every chomosome of the plant has exchanged an arm with another chromosome, which results in a chain of translocated chromosomes. These unusual species,
H. tenuis (
2n = 10, 9),
H. flavescens (
2n = 9), and
H. pallida (
2n = 8) are the only aneuploids in the genus;
H. pallida also has forms with 2n = 12. The basic chromosome number in
Homeria is
x = 6 and most species are diploid, a few other polyploid. The genus comprises mostly large-flowered
outcrossingOutcrossing is the practice of introducing unrelated genetic material into a breeding line. It increases genetic diversity, thus reducing the probability of all individuals being subject to disease or reducing genetic abnormalities...
species, but self-compatibility and autogamy occur in several, including the three with complex heterozygosity.
Several studies based on morphology and
DNA sequenceThe sequence or primary structure of a nucleic acid is the composition of atoms that make up the nucleic acid and the chemical bonds that bond those atoms. Because nucleic acids, such as DNA and RNA, are unbranched polymers, this specification is equivalent to specifying the sequence of...
information have shown that the Iridaceae are a monophyletic group included in the order
AsparagalesAsparagales is the name of an order of plants, used in modern classification systems such as the APG III system . The order takes its name from the family Asparagaceae and is placed in the monocots. The order has only recently been recognized in classification systems...
.
Phylogenetic analysesIn biology, phylogenetics is the study of evolutionary relatedness among groups of organisms , which is discovered through molecular sequencing data and morphological data matrices...
of sequences of five
plastidPlastids are major organelles found in the cells of plants and algae. Plastids are the site of manufacture and storage of important chemical compounds used by the cell...
DNADeoxyribonucleic acid is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions used in the development and functioning of all known living organisms . The DNA segments that carry this genetic information are called genes, but other DNA sequences have structural purposes, or are involved in...
regions,
rbcL,
rps4,
trnL–F,
matK, and
rps16, confirm most aspects of the traditional classification of the Iridaceae in four subfamilies and the evolutionary patterns that they imply, importantly the sister relationship of Isophysidoideae to the remainder of the family and the
monophylyIn common cladistic usage, a monophyletic group is a taxon which forms a clade, meaning that it contains all the descendants of the possibly hypothetical closest common ancestor of the members of the group. The term is synonymous with the uncommon term holophyly...
of
IridoideaeIridoideae subfamily is one of the two main subfamilies in the popular Iridaceae family. It contains the best-known genus - Iris. The members of this subfamily are wildly distributed all over the world. They grows in all of the continents except Antarctica.They produces typical sword-shaped leaves...
. However, it was shown that subfamily Nivenioideae as traditionally defined is paraphyletic:
CrocoideaeCrocoideae is one of the major subfamilies in the Iridaceae family.It contains plants which are wildly distributed in the Old world, mainly in Africa, but there are species like some members of the genera Romulea and Gladiolus which are native to Europe and Asia...
was consistently found nested within it, sister to the core Nivenioideae (the woody genera
KlattiaKlattia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the German botanist Friedrich Wilhelm Klatt, who significantly advanced the body of knowledge of the Iridaceae family in the 19th century....
, NiveniaNivenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. Species in the genus are restricted in distribution to an area in the Cape region of South Africa...
, and
WitseniaWitsenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the botany patron Nicolaas Witsen. It is impossible that Witsen helped finance Carl Peter Thunberg's explorations in South Africa and Japan....
). This clade is sister to
AristeaAristea is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and rhizomatous species of flowering plants in the iris family . The genus include 56 species which are distributed in tropical and southern Africa, as well as Madagascar...
, which in turn is sister to the Madagascarian
GeosirisGeosiris is a genus in the Iridaceae family of flowering plants. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Geosiris aphylla, sometimes called the "earth-iris" sometimes not. Native to Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean, G. aphylla is a small myco-heterotroph lacking...
, and then to the Australasian
PatersoniaPatersonia is a genus of the Iridaceae with about 20 species in Australia and several in the Malesian region. The genus name is a tribute to the first Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales in Australia, William Paterson....
. This has led to a shift in classification.
Subfamilies
Based on the
morphologyIn biology, morphology is a branch of bioscience dealing with the study of the form and structure of organisms and their specific structural features....
,
anatomyAnatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...
,
embryologyEmbryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage...
and
chromosomeA chromosome is an organized structure of DNA and protein found in cells. It is a single piece of coiled DNA containing many genes, regulatory elements and other nucleotide sequences. Chromosomes also contain DNA-bound proteins, which serve to package the DNA and control its functions.Chromosomes...
numbers, the family traditionally was divided into four subfamilies (Isophysidodeae, Nivenioideae, Iridioideae and Ixioideae) but the results from DNA analysis suggest that several more should be recognized. In fact, the genera
Aristea,
Geosiris, and
Patersonia are now considered as separate subfamilies: Aristeoideae, Geosiridoideae and Patersonioideae, respectively, rendering Nivenioideae and Crocoideae monophyletic. Only Iridoideae and Crocoideae are currently subdivided, each into several
tribesIn biology, a tribe is a taxonomic rank between family and genus. It is sometimes subdivided into subtribes.Some examples include the tribes: Canini, Acalypheae, Hominini, Bombini, and Antidesmeae.-See also:* Biological classification* Rank...
.
- Isophysidoideae contains the single genus Isophysis
Isophysis is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and rhizomatous plants in the Iris family . A monotypic genus, it contains a single species, Isophysis tasmanica , endemic to the mountains of Western Tasmania growing in heathland on sandy soils. It has grass-like foliage and star-like dark...
, from TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. It is the only member of the family with a superior ovary. It has a star-like yellow to brownish flower.
- Nivenioideae contains three genera (Klattia
Klattia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the German botanist Friedrich Wilhelm Klatt, who significantly advanced the body of knowledge of the Iridaceae family in the 19th century....
, NiveniaNivenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. Species in the genus are restricted in distribution to an area in the Cape region of South Africa...
and WitseniaWitsenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the botany patron Nicolaas Witsen. It is impossible that Witsen helped finance Carl Peter Thunberg's explorations in South Africa and Japan....
) and 14 species restricted to the Cape region of South Africa. The plants in this subfamily are true shrubs, with secondary thickening. It is distinguished by having sessileIn botany, sessility is a characteristic of plants whose flowers or leaves are borne directly from the stem or peduncle, and thus lack a petiole or pedicel...
flowers in small, paired clusters surrounded by large bracts, slender styles that are divided into three branches, and nectar produced from glands in the ovary walls. The flowers are always radially symmetrical, with unfused tepals and the rootstock is a rhizome. The basic chromosome number is x= 16.
- Iridoideae
Iridoideae subfamily is one of the two main subfamilies in the popular Iridaceae family. It contains the best-known genus - Iris. The members of this subfamily are wildly distributed all over the world. They grows in all of the continents except Antarctica.They produces typical sword-shaped leaves...
, includes 30 genera and about 820 species, is distributed throughout the range of the family, and contains the large genera IrisIris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
and MoraeaMoraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore.The technical botanical material in this entry is abstracted largely from “The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”-Description:...
. It is the only subfamily that is represented in South America. The species have flowers in solitary clusters among large bracts, styles that are often petal-like or crested, and nectar (when present) is produced from glands on the tepals. Most species have unfused tepals and the rootstock is usually a rhizome or rarely a bulb. The flowers are almost always radially symmetrical. BobartiaBobartia is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the iris family . The genus comprises 15 species distributed in South Africa. The genus name is a tribute to German botanist Jakob Bobart.-List of species:...
, DietesDietes is a genus of rhizomatous plants of the family Iridaceae. Common names include Fortnight lily, African iris, Morea or Moraea iris, Japanese iris and Butterfly iris, each of which may be used differently in different regions for one or more of the four species within the genus.Most species...
and FerrariaFerraria is a genus of 11 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar to rotting meat and are pollinated by flies,...
belong to this subfamily.
- Patersonioideae contains only one genus (Patersonia
Patersonia is a genus of the Iridaceae with about 20 species in Australia and several in the Malesian region. The genus name is a tribute to the first Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales in Australia, William Paterson....
) with about 20 species distributed in SumatraSumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
, BorneoBorneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
, New GuineaNew Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
, and the periphery of Australia. Plants are more or less woody and rhizomatous with secondary growthIn many vascular plants, secondary growth is the result of the activity of the two lateral meristems, the cork cambium and vascular cambium. Arising from lateral meristems, secondary growth increases the girth of the plant root or stem, rather than its length. As long as the lateral meristems...
. Their flowers are blue and last only for one day. The inner tepals in the flowers are reduced to scales, the filaments are more or less fused. The basic chromosome number is x= 11 or 21.
- Geosiridoideae is represented by only one genus with one species: Geosiris
Geosiris is a genus in the Iridaceae family of flowering plants. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Geosiris aphylla, sometimes called the "earth-iris" sometimes not. Native to Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean, G. aphylla is a small myco-heterotroph lacking...
, the only myco-heterotrophic genus of the family, from MadagascarThe Republic of Madagascar is an island country located in the Indian Ocean off the southeastern coast of Africa...
and the Comores. The plants are parastic and lack chlorophyll. They have sessile flowers with the tepals fused at the base, without nectary. They produce minute, dust-like seeds.
- Aristeoideae contains only one genus, Aristea
Aristea is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and rhizomatous species of flowering plants in the iris family . The genus include 56 species which are distributed in tropical and southern Africa, as well as Madagascar...
, with about 55 species in sub-Saharan Africa and Madagascar. They are rhizomatous plants with blue flowers which usually last one day, nectaries, and a basic chromosome number x= 16.
- Crocoideae
Crocoideae is one of the major subfamilies in the Iridaceae family.It contains plants which are wildly distributed in the Old world, mainly in Africa, but there are species like some members of the genera Romulea and Gladiolus which are native to Europe and Asia...
(syn.: Ixioideae), which contains nearly half of the species of the family (28 genera and 995 species), is mostly African. This subfamily contains most of the familiar genera (other than IrisIris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
and MoraeaMoraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore.The technical botanical material in this entry is abstracted largely from “The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”-Description:...
) such as IxiaThe genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained...
, GladiolusGladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
, CrocusCrocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
, FreesiaFreesia Ecklon ex Klatt is a genus of 14–16 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to Africa. Of the 14 species, 12 are native to Cape Province, South Africa, the remaining two to tropical Africa, one species extending north of the equator to Sudan.The genus was named in honor...
and WatsoniaWatsonia can refer to:* Watsonia , a genus of flowering plants in the iris family.* Watsonia , a botanical journal .* Watsonia, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia....
. It is easily recognised by its spike-like inflorescence (sometimes bearing solitary flowers) and its tepals joined into a short or long tube. Nectar is produced from glands in the ovary wall and is secreted directly into the base of the floral tube. The flowers are either radially symmetrical or more usually bilaterally symmetrical and two-lipped. The rootstock is a rhizome or, more commonly, a corm.
Genera
Up to 66 genera have been recognised in the family, with a total of around 2,000 species worldwide. The
AfrotropicThe Afrotropic is one of the Earth's eight ecozones. It includes Africa south of the Sahara Desert, the southern and eastern fringes of the Arabian Peninsula, the island of Madagascar, southern Iran and extreme southwestern Pakistan, and the islands of the western Indian Ocean. It was formerly...
ecozoneAn ecozone is the broadest biogeographic division of the Earth's land surface, based on distributional patterns of terrestrial organisms.Ecozones delineate large areas of the Earth's surface within which organisms have been evolving in relative isolation over long periods of time, separated from...
, and in particular
South AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, have the greatest diversity of genera. DNA sequence information coupled with some associated morphological features provided evidence that several previously recognised New World
TigridieaeThe tribe Tigridieae is the largest from the Iridoideae subfamily and included in the Iridaceae family. It contains many perennials which have cormous rootstocks. The name of the tribe comes from its main genus - Tigridia. The tribe is native to the New World.The flowers do not always have well...
genera could not retain a generic rank. These are
Ainea,
Colima,
Fosteria,
Rigidella and
Sessilanthera, which are currently included in
TigridiaTigridia , the tiger-flowers or shell flowers, is a genus of bulbous or cormous plants, belonging to the family Iridaceae. They have large showy flowers and one species, Tigridia pavonia, is often cultivated for this. The approximately thirty five species in this family grow in the Western...
. The Bolivian genus
Cardenanthus was subsumed in
MastigostylaMastigostyla is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words mastigos, meaning "whip", and stylos, meaning "style".-List of species :*Mastigostyla cyrtophylla...
, and
Onira and
Kelissa were included in the temperate South American genus
CypellaCypella is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It comprises about 22 species distributed in South America, from Peru and Brazil to Northern Argentina...
. For the same reason,
Tamia was included in
CalydoreaCalydorea is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the iris family which is distributed in America. The genus includes small plants, with tunicated bulbs, perfect flowers with three free stamens and tepals in white, yellow, violet or light blue colors, depending on the...
and
Tucma in
EnnealophusEnnealophus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It consists in five species distributed from Ecuador to Northern Brazil and Northwest Argentina...
.
The genera of Iridaceae, their number of species and geographic distribution are given below.
- Afrocrocus
Afrocrocus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. This is a monotypic genus, containing the single species Afrocrocus unifolius. The genus name alludes to the African distribution and its resembles to the genus Crocus....
, one species from Africa.
- Alophia
Alophia is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the iris family . The genus comprise five species that occur from center and southern North America to Brazil and Argentina. The genus is closely related to Herbertia, Cypella and Tigridia, differentiating from them by some...
(including Eustylis), five species from the Central and Southern U.S.A. to Brazil.
- Aristea
Aristea is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and rhizomatous species of flowering plants in the iris family . The genus include 56 species which are distributed in tropical and southern Africa, as well as Madagascar...
, 56 species distributed in tropical and Southern Africa and Madagascar.
- Babiana
Babiana Ker Gawler is a genus of flowering plants in the Family Iridaceae composed of about 80 species. Most of these species are found in the southwestern Cape of Africa, with the remainder distributed in Namaqualand and Northern Cape Province...
, 90 species from tropical to Southern Africa.
- Bobartia
Bobartia is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the iris family . The genus comprises 15 species distributed in South Africa. The genus name is a tribute to German botanist Jakob Bobart.-List of species:...
, 15 species endemic to Cape ProvinceThe Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
.
- Calydorea
Calydorea is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the iris family which is distributed in America. The genus includes small plants, with tunicated bulbs, perfect flowers with three free stamens and tepals in white, yellow, violet or light blue colors, depending on the...
(incl.: Cardiostigma, Itysa, Salpingostylis and Tamia), 21 species from tropical and sub-tropical South America.
- Chasmanthe
Chasmanthe is a genus of flowering plants in the iris familywhich originate from South Africa. In their native habitat the flowers are pollinated by sunbirds...
, three species endemic to Cape ProvinceThe Province of the Cape of Good Hope was a province in the Union of South Africa and subsequently the Republic of South Africa...
.
- Cipura
Cipura is a small genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the Iris family . The genus consists in 8 species widespread distributed in tropical Central and South America. It is closely related to the larger genus Cypella....
, 8 species from Mexico to tropical South America.
- Cobana
Cobana is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . A monotypic genus, it contains a single species, Cobana guatemalensis, distributed in Honduras and Guatemala. -Bibliography:...
, one species from Central AmericaCentral America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
- Crocosmia
Crocosmia is a small perennial genus in the iris family Iridaceae, native to the grasslands of Cape Floristic Region, South Africa.They can be evergreen or deciduous perennial herbs, that grow from basal underground corms. The basal, alternate leaves are cauline and distichous...
, 8 species distributed from SudanSudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
to Southern Africa and Madagascar.
- Crocus
Crocus is a genus in the iris family comprising about 80 species of perennials growing from corms. Many are cultivated for their flowers appearing in autumn, winter, or spring...
, 90 species from Mediterranean Europe to Northwestern ChinaChinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
- Cyanixia, one species from Socotra
Socotra , also spelt Soqotra, is a small archipelago of four islands in the Indian Ocean. The largest island, also called Socotra, is about 95% of the landmass of the archipelago. It lies some east of the Horn of Africa and south of the Arabian Peninsula. The island is very isolated and through...
.
- Cypella
Cypella is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It comprises about 22 species distributed in South America, from Peru and Brazil to Northern Argentina...
(incl. Onira and Kelissa), 22 species distributed from PeruPeru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
to Northern ArgentinaArgentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
.
- Devia
Devia is a monotypic genus of perennial, herbaceous, and bulbous plants in the Iris family , containing the single species Devia xeromorpha. It is a local endemic of the Roggeveld Escarpment in the western Karoo, South Africa, closely related to the southern and tropical African Crocosmia, a...
, one species endemic to Western CapeThe Western Cape is a province in the south west of South Africa. The capital is Cape Town. Prior to 1994, the region that now forms the Western Cape was part of the much larger Cape Province...
.
- Dierama
Dierama is a genus in the Iridaceae. Its common names are not stably established, but various species are loosely known by names such as as Fairy's Fishing Rods, Fairy's Wands, Fairy Bells, Wedding Bells, Hairbells, Harebells...
, 43 species from EthiopiaEthiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
to Southern Africa.
- Dietes
Dietes is a genus of rhizomatous plants of the family Iridaceae. Common names include Fortnight lily, African iris, Morea or Moraea iris, Japanese iris and Butterfly iris, each of which may be used differently in different regions for one or more of the four species within the genus.Most species...
, 6 species from Ethiopia to Southern Africa and Lord Howe IslandLord Howe Island is an irregularly crescent-shaped volcanic remnant in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand, directly east of mainland Port Macquarie, and about from Norfolk Island. The island is about 11 km long and between 2.8 km and 0.6 km wide with an area of...
.
- Diplarrhena, two species endemic to Southeastern Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
- Duthieastrum
Duthieastrum is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name combines the name of South African botanist Augusta Vera Duthie, and the Grrek word aster, meaning "star"....
, a single species from Northern Cape Province to Free StateThe Free State is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Bloemfontein, which is also South Africa's judicial capital. Its historical origins lie in the Orange Free State Boer republic and later Orange Free State Province. The current borders of the province date from 1994 when the Bantustans...
.
- Eleutherine
Eleutherine is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . The genus name may be derived from the Greek word eleuthera, meaning "free"....
, two species distributed from Mexico to tropical South America.
- Ennealophus
Ennealophus is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It consists in five species distributed from Ecuador to Northern Brazil and Northwest Argentina...
(incl. Tucma and Eurynotia), about 7 species from EcuadorEcuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
to Northern Brazil and Northwestern Argentina.
- Ferraria
Ferraria is a genus of 11 species of monocotyledonous flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to tropical and southern Africa. They are herbaceous corm-bearing plants growing to 30–45 cm tall. Some species have an unpleasant scent similar to rotting meat and are pollinated by flies,...
, 13 species from southern ZaïreThe Republic of Zaire was the name of the present Democratic Republic of the Congo between 27 October 1971 and 17 May 1997. The name of Zaire derives from the , itself an adaptation of the Kongo word nzere or nzadi, or "the river that swallows all rivers".-Self-proclaimed Father of the Nation:In...
to South Africa.
- Freesia
Freesia Ecklon ex Klatt is a genus of 14–16 species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to Africa. Of the 14 species, 12 are native to Cape Province, South Africa, the remaining two to tropical Africa, one species extending north of the equator to Sudan.The genus was named in honor...
(syn. Anomatheca, Lapeirousia), about 56 species distributed from KenyaKenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
to Southern Africa.
- Geissorhiza
Geissorhiza is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family which originate from South Africa. The genus name is derived from the Greek words geisson, meaning "tile", and rhizon, meaning "root".Here are some of them:...
, 85 species endemic to Cape Province.
- Gelasine
Gelasine is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words gelasinus, meaning "dimple"....
, 7 species from Brazil to Northeastern Argentina.
- Geosiris
Geosiris is a genus in the Iridaceae family of flowering plants. A monotypic genus, it contains the single species Geosiris aphylla, sometimes called the "earth-iris" sometimes not. Native to Madagascar and other islands in the Indian Ocean, G. aphylla is a small myco-heterotroph lacking...
, a single species endemic from Madagascar.
- Gladiolus
Gladiolus is a genus of perennial bulbous flowering plants in the iris family...
(inc. Oenostachys, Homoglossum, Anomalesia, Antholyza and Acidanthera), 272 species distributed from Europe to IranIran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
, Arabian PeninsulaThe Arabian Peninsula is a land mass situated north-east of Africa. Also known as Arabia or the Arabian subcontinent, it is the world's largest peninsula and covers 3,237,500 km2...
and Africa.
- Herbertia
Herbertia is a small genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family .-Description:Herbaceous and perennial plants, from tunicate, ovoid bulbs with brown, dry, brittle and papery tunics. The stems are simple or branched...
(inc. Sympa), 8 species distributed from TexasTexas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
to LouisianaLouisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, ColombiaColombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
to VenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Bolivia to southern South America.
- Hesperantha
Hesperantha is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words hesperos, meaning "evening", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
(inc. Schizostylis), 83 species from CameroonCameroon, officially the Republic of Cameroon , is a country in west Central Africa. It is bordered by Nigeria to the west; Chad to the northeast; the Central African Republic to the east; and Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of the Congo to the south. Cameroon's coastline lies on the...
and Ethiopia to Southern Africa.
- Hesperoxiphion
Hesperoxiphion is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words hesperos, meaning "western", and xiphos, meaning "sword"....
, 5 species distributed in Western South America.
- Iris
Iris is a genus of 260-300species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species...
(inc. Belamcanda), includes 260 species distributed from temperate Northern Hemisphere to Philippines.
- Isophysis
Isophysis is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and rhizomatous plants in the Iris family . A monotypic genus, it contains a single species, Isophysis tasmanica , endemic to the mountains of Western Tasmania growing in heathland on sandy soils. It has grass-like foliage and star-like dark...
, a single species from TasmaniaTasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
.
- Ixia
The genus Ixia consists of a number of cormous plants native to South Africa from the Iridaceae family and Ixioideae subfamily. Some of them are known as the corn lily. Some distinctive traits include: sword-like leaves, and long wiry stems with star-shaped flowers. It usually prefers well-drained...
, 61 species from Cape Province.
- Klattia
Klattia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the German botanist Friedrich Wilhelm Klatt, who significantly advanced the body of knowledge of the Iridaceae family in the 19th century....
, three species from Southwestern Cape Province.
- Larentia
Larentia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae....
, two species from Mexico, Venezuela, Bolivia to Southern Brazil.
- Lethia, a single species from Bolivia to Brazil (Minas Gerais
Minas Gerais is one of the 26 states of Brazil, of which it is the second most populous, the third richest, and the fourth largest in area. Minas Gerais is the Brazilian state with the largest number of Presidents of Brazil, the current one, Dilma Rousseff, being one of them. The capital is the...
).
- Libertia
Libertia is a genus of monocotyledenous plants in the family Iridaceae containing 15 species in the southern hemisphere. A number of species are endemic to New Zealand....
, 15 species from AndesThe Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
to southern South America, and AustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and New ZealandNew Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
- Mastigostyla
Mastigostyla is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words mastigos, meaning "whip", and stylos, meaning "style".-List of species :*Mastigostyla cyrtophylla...
(incl. Cardenanthus), 17 species from Peru to Northern Argentina.
- Melasphaerula
Melasphaerula is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words melas, meaning "black", and sphaerulos, meaning "small sphere"....
, a single species from NamibiaNamibia, officially the Republic of Namibia , is a country in southern Africa whose western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Angola and Zambia to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and east. It gained independence from South Africa on 21 March...
to Cape Province.
- Micranthus
Micranthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words micro, meaning "small", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
, three species from Cape Province.
- Moraea
Moraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore.The technical botanical material in this entry is abstracted largely from “The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”-Description:...
(inc. Bernardiella, GalaxiaGalaxia is a genus of flowering plants in the iris family, but some consider it a synonym of Moraea....
, Gynandiris, Hexaglottis, HomeriaHomeria, commonly known as Cape tulips, is a genus of the botanical family Iridaceae, which has 32 species of corm-bearing perennial herbs. In addition, these plants are used as ornamental plants...
, Sessilstigma and Roggeveldia). includes about 200 species distributed from tropical and South Africa, Mediterranean Europe to western Himalaya.
- Nemastylis
Nemastylis is a genus of seven species of flowering plants in the iris family distributed in North America. The genus name is derived from the Greek words nema, meaning "thread", and stylos, meaning "pillar" or "rod".-Species:...
, 7 species distributed from Central U.S.A. to HondurasHonduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
.
- Neomarica
Neomarica is a genus of 16 species of plants in family Iridaceae, native to tropical regions of western Africa, and Central and South America, with the highest diversity in Brazil...
, 21 species from Mexico to TrinidadTrinidad is the larger and more populous of the two major islands and numerous landforms which make up the island nation of Trinidad and Tobago. It is the southernmost island in the Caribbean and lies just off the northeastern coast of Venezuela. With an area of it is also the fifth largest in...
, Brazil to Northeastern Argentina.
- Nivenia
Nivenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. Species in the genus are restricted in distribution to an area in the Cape region of South Africa...
, 11 species endemic to Southwestern Cape Province.
- Olsynium
Olsynium is a genus of 12 species of summer-dormant rhizomatous perennials in the iris family, native to sunny hillsides in South America and western North America.-Description:...
, 15 species distributed from western CanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and U.S.A., Costa RicaCosta Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
to Southern South America.
- Orthrosanthus
Orthrosanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. It can be seen in Australia, Central and South America. The genus name is derived from the Greek words orthros, meaning "morning", and anthos, meaning "flower".Species include:...
, 9 species from Southern Australia, Mexico to Northwestern Argentina.
- Patersonia
Patersonia is a genus of the Iridaceae with about 20 species in Australia and several in the Malesian region. The genus name is a tribute to the first Lieutenant Governor of New South Wales in Australia, William Paterson....
, 19 species distributed from MalesiaMalesia is a biogeographical region straddling the boundaries of the Indomalaya ecozone and Australasia ecozone, and also a phytogeographical floristic region in the Paleotropical Kingdom.-Floristic province:...
to Australia.
- Phalocallis, a single species from Southern Brazil and Northeastern Argentina.
- Pillansia
Pillansia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the South African botanist Neville Stuart Pillans, who brought the species to the attention of Harriet Margaret Louisa Bolus....
, a single species from Southwestern Cape Province.
- Pseudotrimezia
Pseudotrimezia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a combination of the Greek word pseudo, meaning "false", and the genus Trimezia....
, 18 species from Southeastern Brazil.
- Radinosiphon
Radinosiphon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words radinosus, meaning "slender", and siphon, meaning "tube"....
, two species from Tanzania to Southern Africa.
- Romulea
Romulea is a genus of about 80 species of flowering plants in the iris family distributed in Europe, the Mediterranean, and South Africa. The genus name refers to the legendary Rome founder Romulus, and alludes to the abundance of one of the species in the Roman countryside.Some of the species:*...
, about 105 species widely distributed from MacaronesiaMacaronesia is a modern collective name for several groups of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean near Europe and North Africa belonging to three countries: Portugal, Spain, and Cape Verde...
, Mediterranean Europe, tropical African mountains to Southern Africa and Arabian Peninsula.
- Savannosiphon
Savannosiphon is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name, derived from the word savanna and the Greek word siphon alludes to its habitat and the structure of its perianth tube....
, a single species distributed from TanzaniaThe United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
to southern tropical Africa.
- Sisyrinchium, about 200 species which range from Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
, Template and Subtropical America to Falkland IslandsThe Falkland Islands are an archipelago in the South Atlantic Ocean, located about from the coast of mainland South America. The archipelago consists of East Falkland, West Falkland and 776 lesser islands. The capital, Stanley, is on East Falkland...
.
- Solenomelus
Solenomelus is a genus of South American species of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. They are very closely allied to Sisyrinchium with rhizomes], flowers with a perianth tube and a style that is not divided and a single capitate stigma. The genus name is derived from the Greek words...
, two species from ChileChile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
and Argentina.
- Sparaxis
Sparaxis is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa.All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer...
, 15 species from Southern Africa.
- Syringodea
Syringodea is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek word syrinx, meaning "pipe", and alludes to the long perianth tube....
, 7 species from Southern Africa.
- Tapeinia
Tapeinia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek word tapeinos, meaning "low"....
, a single species from southern Chile and Argentina.
- Thereianthus
Thereianthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is derived from the Greek words thereios, meaning "summer", and anthos, meaning "flower"....
, 8 species from Southwestern Cape Province.
- Tigridia
Tigridia , the tiger-flowers or shell flowers, is a genus of bulbous or cormous plants, belonging to the family Iridaceae. They have large showy flowers and one species, Tigridia pavonia, is often cultivated for this. The approximately thirty five species in this family grow in the Western...
(incl. AineaAinea is a genus of perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plants belonging to the iris family , endemic from Oaxaca in Mexico. They have white flowers with free stamens and a bifid style...
, Colima, Fosteria, Rigidella, Sessilanthera), about 50 species distributed from Mexico to El SalvadorEl Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, and Peru to Northern Chile.
- Trimezia
Trimezia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae, native to the warmer parts of Central America, South America, and the West Indies...
, 41 species from Lesser AntillesThe Lesser Antilles are a long, partly volcanic island arc in the Western Hemisphere. Most of its islands form the eastern boundary of the Caribbean Sea with the Atlantic Ocean, with the remainder located in the southern Caribbean just north of South America...
to southern tropical America
- Tritonia
Tritonia may refer to:* Tritonia * Tritonia * Tritonia...
, 26 species distributed from Tanzania to Southern Africa.
- Tritoniopsis
Tritoniopsis is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name refers to the African genus Trionia and is combined with the Greek word opsis, meaning "look-alike"....
(inc. Anapalina), 23 species from Cape Province.
- Watsonia
Watsonia can refer to:* Watsonia , a genus of flowering plants in the iris family.* Watsonia , a botanical journal .* Watsonia, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia....
, 52 species from Southern Africa.
- Witsenia
Witsenia is a genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the botany patron Nicolaas Witsen. It is impossible that Witsen helped finance Carl Peter Thunberg's explorations in South Africa and Japan....
, a single species from Southwestern Cape Province.
- Xenoscapa
Xenoscapa is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It consists of only two species distributed in Africa, and closely related to the genera Freesia and Anomatheca. The genus name is derived from the Greek words xenos, meaning "strange", and scapa, meaning...
, two species from Namibia to Cape Province.
- Zygotritonia
Zygotritonia is a genus of herbaceous, perennial and bulbous plants in the Iris family . It contains four species distributed in Tropical Africa...
, four species from tropical Africa.
Ecology
Members of the Iridaceae occur in a great variety of habitats. About the only place they do not grow is in the sea itself, although
Gladiolus gueinzii occurs on the seashore just above the high tide mark within reach of the spray. Most species are adapted to
seasonA season is a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight.Seasons result from the yearly revolution of the Earth around the Sun and the tilt of the Earth's axis relative to the plane of revolution...
al climates that have a pronounced dry or cold period unfavorable for plant growth and during which the plants remain dormant. As a result most species are
deciduousDeciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
. Evergreen species are restricted to subtropical forests or savannah, temperate grasslands and perennially moist
fynbosFynbos is the natural shrubland or heathland vegetation occurring in a small belt of the Western Cape of South Africa, mainly in winter rainfall coastal and mountainous areas with a Mediterranean climate...
. A few species grow in marshes or along streams and some even grow only in the spray of seasonal waterfalls.
The above-ground parts (leaves and stems) of deciduous species die down when the bulb or corm enters
dormancyDormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be closely associated with environmental conditions...
. The plants thus survive periods that are unfavorable for growth by retreating underground. This is particularly useful adaptation for growth in areas like
grasslandGrasslands are areas where the vegetation is dominated by grasses and other herbaceous plants . However, sedge and rush families can also be found. Grasslands occur naturally on all continents except Antarctica...
s and fynbos which regularly have fires in the dry seasons— the plants are dormant and their bulbs or corms are able to survive underground.
VeldThe term Veld refers primarily to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain flatter areas or districts covered in grass or low scrub...
fires clear the soil surface of competing vegetation and fertilize it with ash. With the arrival of the first rains, the dormant corms are ready to burst into growth, sending up flowers and stems before they can be shaded out by other vegetation. Many Iridaceae species which grow in grassland and fynbos flower best after fires and some fynbos species will only flower in the season after a fire.
The family has a very diverse
pollinationPollination is the process by which pollen is transferred in plants, thereby enabling fertilisation and sexual reproduction. Pollen grains transport the male gametes to where the female gamete are contained within the carpel; in gymnosperms the pollen is directly applied to the ovule itself...
ecology. Although the majority of species of African Iridaceae are pollinated by
Hymenoptera Hymenoptera is one of the largest orders of insects, comprising the sawflies, wasps, bees and ants. There are over 130,000 recognized species, with many more remaining to be described. The name refers to the heavy wings of the insects, and is derived from the Ancient Greek ὑμήν : membrane and...
(mostly bees), the remaining species are pollinated mainly, or solely, by insects in the orders Coleoptera (beetles),
DipteraDiptera , or true flies, is the order of insects possessing only a single pair of wings on the mesothorax; the metathorax bears a pair of drumstick like structures called the halteres, the remnants of the hind wings. It is a large order, containing an estimated 240,000 species, although under half...
(short- and long-
proboscidA proboscis is an elongated appendage from the head of an animal, either a vertebrate or an invertebrate. In simpler terms, a proboscis is the straw-like mouth found in several varieties of species.-Etymology:...
flies) and
LepidopteraLepidoptera is a large order of insects that includes moths and butterflies . It is one of the most widespread and widely recognizable insect orders in the world, encompassing moths and the three superfamilies of butterflies, skipper butterflies, and moth-butterflies...
(butterflies and
mothsMoths may refer to:* Gustav Moths , German rower* The Moths!, an English indie rock band* MOTHS, members of the Memorable Order of Tin Hats...
), or by passerine birds (Nectarinidae). It is now known that pollination systems are predominantly specialized: plants rely on a single species or a few ecologically analogous species for pollination. By contrast, generalist species, which are pollinated by a range of pollinators from at least three pollinator groups, are rare among southern African Iridaceae. In consequence, almost all genera of any size exhibit a range of pollination syndromes, with similar patterns of floral variation having developed repeatedly within different genera.
Most significantly, the diversity of pollination systems increases primarily with floral complexity and secondarily with genus size. Thus,
Aristea (approximately 56 species), which has radially symmetric, mostly blue flowers, has three different pollination systems, whereas
SparaxisSparaxis is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa.All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer...
(15 species), with both zygomorphic and secondarily radially symmetric flowers, in a variety of colors, exhibits five different pollination systems, and
Gladiolus, with a similar array of floral types but over two hundred species, exploits seven different pollination systems, some of which have evolved multiple times. As is usual in predominantly specialist pollination systems, floral attractants and rewards correlate closely with pollinator profile, resulting in the development of distinct floral syndromes. Attractants are primarily perianth pigmentation, complemented by a range or floral odors in many species, but flower shape and tepal orientation, in particular functional floral symmetry, may be equally important for some pollinators. The reward to visitors in the majority of species is nectar, but in others it is
pollenPollen is a fine to coarse powder containing the microgametophytes of seed plants, which produce the male gametes . Pollen grains have a hard coat that protects the sperm cells during the process of their movement from the stamens to the pistil of flowering plants or from the male cone to the...
, and one species offers non-volatile
oilAn oil is any substance that is liquid at ambient temperatures and does not mix with water but may mix with other oils and organic solvents. This general definition includes vegetable oils, volatile essential oils, petrochemical oils, and synthetic oils....
. In the case of hopliine beetles (
ScarabaeidaeThe family Scarabaeidae as currently defined consists of over 30,000 species of beetles worldwide. The species in this large family are often called scarabs or scarab beetles. The classification of this family is fairly unstable, with numerous competing theories, and new proposals appearing quite...
, Hopliinae), flowers provide a stable platform on which to congregate, and the value of pollen, which beetles sometimes consume, as a reward is uncertain.
Conservation
Several species of Iridaceae are
endangeredAn endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
or threatened by extinction due to
habitat degradationHabitat destruction is the process in which natural habitat is rendered functionally unable to support the species present. In this process, the organisms that previously used the site are displaced or destroyed, reducing biodiversity. Habitat destruction by human activity mainly for the purpose of...
or loss and a restricted geographical distribution. According to the IUCN, the following species are endangered:
Babiana longicollisBabiana longicollis is a species of plant in the Iridaceae family. It is endemic to Namibia.-References:* Craven, P. 2004. . Downloaded on 20 August 2007....
,
Cyanixia socotrana (as
Babiana socotranaCyanixia socotrana is a perennial, herbaceous and bulbous plant species in the Iridaceae family endemic to Socotra. The genus name is derived from the Greek words Ixia, referring to the radially symmetrical flowers in the genus of that name, as well as cyanos, meaning "blue".It was known until...
),
Gladiolus pole-evansiiGladiolus pole-evansii is a species of plant in the Iridaceae family. It is endemic to South Africa. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-Source:* Pfab, M.F. & Victor, J. 2003. . Downloaded on 21 August 2007....
,
Moraea garipensisMoraea garipensis is a species of plant in the Iridaceae family. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical dry shrubland and rocky areas. It is threatened by habitat loss.-References:...
,
Moraea graniticolaMoraea graniticola is a species of plant in the Iridaceae family. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:* Loots, S. 2004. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
and
Moraea hexaglottisMoraea hexaglottis is a species of plant in the Iridaceae family. It is endemic to Namibia. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical dry shrubland.-References:* Craven, P. & Loots, S. 2004. . Downloaded on 22 August 2007....
.
Uses
Several cultures have used species of Iridaceae as food, ornamental, condiment or medicinal plants. The
NavajoThe Navajo of the Southwestern United States are the largest single federally recognized tribe of the United States of America. The Navajo Nation has 300,048 enrolled tribal members. The Navajo Nation constitutes an independent governmental body which manages the Navajo Indian reservation in the...
, the largest
Native AmericanThe indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
tribe of
North AmericaNorth America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
, used
decoctionDecoction is a method of extraction, by boiling, of dissolved chemicals, or herbal or plant material, which may include stems, roots, bark and rhizomes. Decoction involves first mashing, and then boiling in water to extract oils, volatile organic compounds, and other chemical substances...
s of
Iris missouriensisIris missouriensis is a species of iris found in western North America. Its distribution is varied; it grows at high elevations in mountains and alpine meadows and all the way down to sea level in coastal hills. Its common names include western blue flag and Rocky Mountain iris...
as an emetic. Pieces of the rhizome of the same species were used to relieve toothaches, or earaches. The mashed roots of
Iris versicolorIris versicolor, also commonly known as the Harlequin Blueflag, Larger Blue Flag, Northern Blue Flag, and other variations of those names, is a species of Iris native to North America where it is common in sedge meadows, marshes, and along streambanks and shores.-Growth:I. versicolor is a perennial...
were applied to wounds, presumably as an
antisepticAntiseptics are antimicrobial substances that are applied to living tissue/skin to reduce the possibility of infection, sepsis, or putrefaction...
, and the
infusionAn infusion is the outcome of steeping plants with desired chemical compounds or flavors in water or oil.-History:The first recorded use of essential oils was in the 10th or 11th century by the Persian polymath Avicenna, possibly in The Canon of Medicine.-Preparation techniques:An infusion is very...
s of dry roots of the same species were used to calm pain.
Sisyrinchium acre was used in
HawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
in different ways. Leaves or leaf-sap were used as a
dyeA dye is a colored substance that has an affinity to the substrate to which it is being applied. The dye is generally applied in an aqueous solution, and requires a mordant to improve the fastness of the dye on the fiber....
, to give the blue color to tattoos. The use of the leaves, macerated with salt, sugar and other spices was recommended to clean the skin and cure skin diseases.
Iris ensata was used in
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
as
anthelminticAnthelmintics or antihelminthics are drugs that expel parasitic worms from the body, by either stunning or killing them. They may also be called vermifuges or vermicides .-Pharmaceutical classes:...
and
diureticA diuretic provides a means of forced diuresis which elevates the rate of urination. There are several categories of diuretics. All diuretics increase the excretion of water from bodies, although each class does so in a distinct way.- Medical uses :...
, and, mixed with other species, to treat venereal diseases.
Belamcanda chinensis has a long history of use as medicinal plant in China. Apparently, it was very effective in controlling
bacterialPathogenic bacteria are bacteria that cause bacterial infection. This article deals with human pathogenic bacteria.Although the vast majority of bacteria are harmless or beneficial, quite a few bacteria are pathogenic...
, viral and
fungalPathogenic fungi are fungi that cause disease in humans or other organisms. The study of pathogenic fungi is referred to as medical mycology. Although fungi are eukaryotic organisms many pathogenic fungi are also microorganisms.-Candida:...
diseases, and in reducing
feverFever is a common medical sign characterized by an elevation of temperature above the normal range of due to an increase in the body temperature regulatory set-point. This increase in set-point triggers increased muscle tone and shivering.As a person's temperature increases, there is, in...
and
inflammationInflammation is part of the complex biological response of vascular tissues to harmful stimuli, such as pathogens, damaged cells, or irritants. Inflammation is a protective attempt by the organism to remove the injurious stimuli and to initiate the healing process...
s. Another popular member of the family is
Crocus sativus; the spice
saffronSaffron is a spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus, commonly known as the saffron crocus. Crocus is a genus in the family Iridaceae. Each saffron crocus grows to and bears up to four flowers, each with three vivid crimson stigmas, which are each the distal end of a carpel...
– obtained from the stigma – has been used for centuries in folk medicine as an
antispasmodicAn antispasmodic is a drug or a herb that suppresses muscle spasms.-Smooth muscle spasm:One type of antispasmodics is used for smooth muscle contraction, especially in tubular organs of the gastrointestinal tract...
,
aphrodisiacAn aphrodisiac is a substance that increases sexual desire. The name comes from Aphrodite, the Greek goddess of sexuality and love. Throughout history, many foods, drinks, and behaviors have had a reputation for making sex more attainable and/or pleasurable...
, expectorant,
narcoticThe term narcotic originally referred medically to any psychoactive compound with any sleep-inducing properties. In the United States of America it has since become associated with opioids, commonly morphine and heroin and their derivatives, such as hydrocodone. The term is, today, imprecisely...
and
sedativeA sedative or tranquilizer is a substance that induces sedation by reducing irritability or excitement....
.
Iridaceae are of considerable economic importance in ornamental horticulture and the
cut-flower industryFloriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and ornamental plants for gardens and for floristry, comprising the floral industry...
, especially
Iris,
Gladiolus, and
Freesia. Several other genera (e.g.,
Crocus, DietesDietes is a genus of rhizomatous plants of the family Iridaceae. Common names include Fortnight lily, African iris, Morea or Moraea iris, Japanese iris and Butterfly iris, each of which may be used differently in different regions for one or more of the four species within the genus.Most species...
, SparaxisSparaxis is a genus in the family Iridaceae with about 13 species endemic to Cape Province, South Africa.All are perennials that grow during the wet winter season, flower in spring and survive underground as dormant corms over summer...
, TritoniaTritonia may refer to:* Tritonia * Tritonia * Tritonia...
, WatsoniaWatsonia can refer to:* Watsonia , a genus of flowering plants in the iris family.* Watsonia , a botanical journal .* Watsonia, Victoria, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia....
) are cultivated in gardens in both tropical and temperate areas.
MoraeaMoraea is a genus of plants in the family Iridaceae. The genus name is a tribute to the English botanist Robert Moore.The technical botanical material in this entry is abstracted largely from “The Genera of Southern African Flowering Plants”-Description:...
and
HomeriaHomeria, commonly known as Cape tulips, is a genus of the botanical family Iridaceae, which has 32 species of corm-bearing perennial herbs. In addition, these plants are used as ornamental plants...
are poisonous and pose significant problems in cattle- and sheep-raising areas, notably in southern Africa.
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