Iridaceae

G. kotschyanus Boiss., Diagn. ser. 1(13):15 (1854). Sya: G. subbifiorus Boiss. in Tchihat., Asie Min. Bot. 2:579 (1860)! G. imbriattus L. var. kygro-philus Boiss. & Huet ex Baker in J. Linn. Soc. (Bot.) 16:171 (1877)! G. imbricatus L. var. kotschyanus (Boiss.) Boiss., FL Or. 5:141 (1882)! Ic: Grossh., Fl. Kavk. ed. 2, 2: t. 28 f. 10(1940); FL Iranica 112: t. 8 f. 2(1975). Figure 16. Map 68.
Corm tunic membranous with ± parallel fibres. Stem 35-65 cm. Leaves 2 or, if 3, uppermost very reduced, lamina 4-12(-20) nun broad, not glaucous, veins irregularly spaced. Spike dense, 3-7(-14)-flowered, secund. Perianth deep violet-purple, rarely pale lilac or whitish, lower lateral segments sometimes paler with dark markings; tube distinctly curved, posterior 8-11(-14) mm, anterior 13-17 mm; segments elliptic-obovate to ovate-spathulate (especially lower 3), narrowly long-clawed; upper (20-)25-28 x (8-)14-18 mm, lower (20-)25-30 x 9-12 mm, projecting further forward than upper in vivo. Anthers 8-14 mm, filaments 14-16(-20) mm. Style to 3.5 cm, with equal 4 mm stigmas d3ated at tips. Capsule obovoid, 1-1.7 cm: seeds 2.5-3.5 x c. 1.5 mm, brown, unwinged. 2n - 60. Fl. 4-8. Limestone slopes and valleys, marshy places by streams and glacial lakes, alpine pastures, water meadows, edgeofPicea forest, 400-29 00 m.
Type: [Turkey C7 Urfa] in Mesopotamia inter Suereck (Siverek) et Diar-bekir (Diyarbakir), Kotschy 1843:163 (holo. G! iso. K!).
Mainly E. & adjacent C. Anatolia. A8 Erzurum: 39 km from Erzurum to Tortum, 1980 m, Hub.-Mor. 17842! A/B8 Erzurum: "Asia Minor' (between Erzurum and headwaters of Aras river), Tchihatcheff 1858:874 (type of G. subbiflorusy. A9 Kars: Yağmurlu Da., Sarikamiş to Karaurgan, 2350 m, D. 30814! D. 30816! B6 Sivas: 37 km W. of Gürün, 1750 m, Sorger 71-54-4! B7 Erzincan: Sipikör Da., 1525m-, Sint. 1889:1133! B8 Erzurum: nr Khoblat,2750 m, Hand.-Mazz. 2815! B9 Ağri: 2 km S.W. of Hamur (Murat valley), 1670 m, D. 44066! C5 Adana: Masmutlidagh (Mazmili Da.}, 1600 m, Siehe s.n.! C6 Maraş: Berit Da., 213S m, 9 viii 1865, Hausskn C1 Urfa: Biredjik (Birecik), Tschiflik (Çiftlik), 21 iv 1888, Kat 1838:3.56 p.p.! C8 Siirt: 27 km from Kurtalan to Beşri, 500 m, D. 42955! C9 Hakkari: 10 km from Hakkari to Kaval (Piyannis), 2400 m, D. 454İ9.! C10 Hakkari: Şemdinli to Kepenek, 1400 m, T. Baytop (ISTE 26069)!
N, Iraq, W.Iran, Transcaucasia (Nakhichevan). Ir.-Tur. element. In Turkey usually a species of wet habitats.
G. alpigenus C. Koch in Linnaea 21:635 0848) is probably referable to this species as Koch's description mentions a com tunic which is membranous and with ± parallel striations, 3 upper perianth segments which are shorter than the lower, a distichous spike and filaments equalling the length of the anthers. The only differing character is the 'distichous spike'. G. alpigenus would provide the earliest name for this taxon if it were coaspecific with G. kotschyanus but in the absence of type material of the former ([Turkey A8 Çoruh] im Gaue Pertakrek (Peterek) auf Urgestein, 1830 m, 1848, C. Koch — holo. B, destroyed), it seems safer to adopt Boissier's epithet kotschyanus.