Bulbous and Tuberous Rooted Plants
A division of the Camden Park catalogues that is not clearly defined. Some of the more important families of the Hortus are included here, Amaryllidaceae, Iridaceae and Liliaceae. It also contains a wide assortment of other plants with a modified stem or root that acts as a storage organ. Such plants are usually deciduous and have a distinct dormancy period. Shrubs and trees are not included, but there is some overlap with herbaceous plants.
Iris humilis Georgi var. arenaria
Fully-hardy rhizomatous bearded iris with erect, narrow leaves and flower stems with 1-2 scented yellow and orange flowers in spring. To 25cm. The variety arenaria is even smaller than the type and has been used in hybridising dwarf bearded irises. [RHSE, Lynch].
Iris japonica Thunb.
A rhizomatous crested iris with fans of strap-shaped, evergreen, dark green leaves and, in late spring, 3-4 flattened, frilly, white or pale lavender-blue flowers per stem, with purple and orange markings on the falls. To 45cm. Under favourable conditions it can be very invasive in the garden. [RHSE, Hortus].
Iris latifolia Mill.
Fully-hardy, bulbous iris with narrowly lance-shaped leaves and 1 or 2 broad, blue, violet, or occasionally white, flowers, with yellow centres in the falls, in summer. There are many cultivars, blue, violet, purple or white in colour, but never yellow. [RHSE, Hortus, Allen].
Iris lochlevensis [Macarthur]
I have found no reference to this plant. It seems probable that it is of Scottish origin, from the vicinity of Loch Leven in Perthshire. Of the few species of iris recorded from Britain Iris pseud-acorus L., which see, seems the most likely. [Keble Martin].
Iris lutescens Lam.
Very variable, hardy, rhizomatous, dwarf bearded iris with nearly straight leaves and erect, branched stems bearing 1 or 2 violet, yellow, bicoloured or, rarely white flowers with yellow beards, in spring. To 30cm. [RHSE, Hortus].
Iris ochroleuca L.
Borderline fully-hardy, robust, rhizomatous, beardless iris, often evergreen, with branched stems with 3-5 white and yellow flowers in spring. To 90cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Lynch].
Iris persica L.
Fully-hardy, bulbous, dwarf iris with linear leaves and stems with 1-4 silvery-grey to sand-yellow or pale green, scented flowers in late winter and spring. To 10cm. [RHSE, Hortus, Lynch].
Iris pseudacorus L.
Fully-hardy, vigorous, beardless iris with branched stems bearing 4-12 yellow flowers with brown or violet markings. To 1.5m. [RHSE, Hortus]. A useful water-margin plant.
Iris pumila L.
Fully hardy rhizomatous dwarf bearded iris with grey-green leaves, to 15cm long, and very short, unbranched stems bearing usually solitary, scented, blue, purple or yellow flowers, to 5cm across, with yellow or blue beards, in spring. To 15cm. There are a very large number of named garden forms. [RHSE, Hortus].
Iris sambucina L.
This is a confused plant and probably a form of Iris lurida [Soland.] which see. Iris lurida is thought to be a hybrid, correctly called Iris x lurida Ait. Sambucina has flower stems to 60cm, usually branched, with violet-brown standards, often tinged yellow, and red or violet-brown falls, strongly veined, with orange or yellow beards. [RHSD].
Iris scotica [Macarthur]
I have found no reference to this plant. Like Iris lochlevensis, it seems probable that it is of Scottish origin and, of the few species of iris recorded from Britain Iris pseud-acorus L., which see, seems the most likely. [Keble Martin].
Iris sibirica L. var. acuta Willd.
See Iris sibirica L. var. flexuosa for a description of Iris sibirica. Iris acuta is described by Dykes as a dwarf plant with narrow foliage, otherwise indistinguishable from the species.
Iris sibirica L. var. flexuosa
The type species, Iris sibirica, is a fully-hardy rhizomatous, beardless iris with narrow, grass-like leaves and branching stems bearing up to five blue-violet and white flowers in summer. There are numerous cultivars. Iris sibirica var. flexuosa is a white-flowered form with crisped segments. To 1.2m. [RHSE, Lynch, Hortus].
Iris sibirica L. var. orientalis
A rhizomatous, beardless, Siberian iris with red-purple flowers. See Iris sibirica L. var. flexuosa for a description of the type Iris siberica. [RHSE, Dykes, Hortus].
