Iridaceae

I. pseudocaucasica Grossh. in Monit. Jard. Bot. Tiflis 40-41:11 (1916). Ic: Bot. Mag. 174: t. 405 (1962), as/, caucasica; Rech. fil., Fl. Iranica 112: t. 6 f. 6 & t. 21 f. 2 (1975); Mathew, The Iris col. t. 32 (1981). Map 59.
Plant 6-12(-20) cm. Bulb 1-1.5 cm diam. Leaves 3-4(-6),±fully developed at anthesis, 4-18 cm, 0.8-2.8 cm broad at base, lanceolate, falcate, glabrous, glossy green above, greyish-green below; margin white, smooth or minutely scabrid. Stem nearly absent, concealed by leaves at anthesis, usually elongating in fruit so that internodes are visible. Bract and bracteole glabrous, acute or acuminate, ventricose, green with a narrow scarious margin. Flowers 1-4, yeliowish-green or dirty bluish, translucent; perianth tube 3-4.5 cm;falls 3.3-4 cm, claw winged, 2-2.5 x 1.6-2.2 cm, lamina ungulate, 1-1.2 x 0.8-1 cm, crest prominent, undulate, yellow; standards patent or reflexed, lanceolate, oblan-ceolate to ± 3-lobed, 1.2-2.2 x 0.2-0.4 cm; style branches 2.7-3.5 cm. Capsule ellipsoid, c. 3.5 cm; seeds c. 4 mm. FL 3-4. Screes and in rocky mountain steppe, 1000-3000 m.
Type: [USSR] in distr. Lenkoran, tractus Zuvant inter pagos Orant et Dygja, A.A. Grossheim (holo. TBI).
S.E. Anatolia. B9 Siirt: Şirvan nr Demirkapi, 1050 m, Güner 1627! Van: Çuh pass, Hosap to Başkale, c. 3000 m, Rix 1961!
N. Iraq, N. & N.W. Iran, Soviet Azerbaijan, Soviet Armenia. Ir.-Tur. element. The above description is partly based on material from neighbouring countries. Gfiner 1627 is a particularly small specimen with solitary flowers and smooth leaf margins but these characters also occur in specimens from Iran. Only yellow-flowered forms have been recorded in Turkey.

Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.	Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.	Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.	Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.
Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.	Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.	Iris pseudocaucasica GROSSH.