Iris bucharica

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Species of plant

title: "Iris bucharica" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["iris-(plant)", "flora-of-uzbekistan", "flora-of-afghanistan", "flora-of-tajikistan", "taxa-named-by-michael-foster-(physiologist)"] description: "Species of plant" topic_path: "general/iris-plant" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_bucharica" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Species of plant ::

|image = Iris bucharica 01.jpg |image_caption = Iris bucharica, Dresden Botanic Garden |genus = Iris |display_parents = 2 |parent = Iris sect. Scorpiris |species = bucharica |authority = Foster |synonyms = Juno bucharica (Foster) Vved. |synonyms_ref =

Iris bucharica (also Bukhara iris, corn leaf iris and horned iris) is a species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. It is a bulbous herbaceous perennial, from temperate Asia, within Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It has long blue green leaves, many flowers in spring, in shades of yellow and white.

Description

Iris bucharica has a yellowish white bulb, about 2 cm in diameter, with thin fleshy roots. It grows 20-40 cm high.

The lanceolate (lance-like) leaves which are blue-green below and glossy green above, reach up to 3.5 cm wide and 20 cm long. They are scattered up the flower stems.

Each stem produces up to seven unscented flowers in spring. They bloom in order from the top of the stem, going downwards. The perianth tube is about 4.5-5 cm long. Like other irises, it has 2 pairs of petals, 3 large sepals (outer petals), known as the 'falls' and 3 inner, smaller petals (or tepals), known as the 'standards'. The stigmas are semicircular, with whitish anthers and pollen.

Iris bucharica, Iris orchioides and Iris warleyensis all have cubiform seeds.

Biochemistry

Most irises are diploid, having two sets of chromosomes. This can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.

Taxonomy

It is commonly known as 'Bukhara iris',

It is pronounced 'bukh-AR-ee-kuh'{{cite web|first=Debbie |last=Teashon | title= Iris bucharica| url=http://www.rainyside.com/plant_gallery/bulbs/Iris_bucharica.html| publisher=www.rainyside.com |access-date=11 August 2014}} and named after the city of Bukhara in Uzbekistan.

Iris bucharica was illustrated in Curtis's Botanical Magazine, Tab. 7111 on 1 April 1890, and was incorrectly described by Baker as a specimen of Iris orchioides. It was then published as Iris bucharica in The Gardeners' Chronicle by Foster in 1902. Michael Foster got the bulbs from the UK bulb merchant Van Tubergen (mainly based in Harlem, Netherlands). It was also published in “Flora and Sylva” in 1905. It was then introduced into the UK in 1902.

It was verified by United States Department of Agriculture and the Agricultural Research Service on 4 April 2003, then updated on 1 December 2004.

Distribution and habitat

Iris bucharica is native to temperate Central Asia. in north-eastern Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan around Bukhara. It is endemic to the Gissar Range, in the valleys of Surkhan-darya, Kafirnigan, Vakhsh, Ak-su and Kizyl-su rivers. It is found at 5000-6000 ft, in pebble beds and gravelly slopes of the lower mountain zone.

Cultivation

Iris bucharica is widely cultivated in temperate regions, and in the UK it has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

It prefers free draining fertile soils which are neutral or slightly alkaline. The bulbs are planted in late summer or autumn, 5 cm deep, in gravelly soils in full sun. Like others of its kind it needs a period of warmth and dryness during the summer, to prevent the fleshy roots from rotting away. This is normally after the foliage dies back in late June or early July.

It is hardy to USDA Zones 4–9. It is hardy in most areas of the UK, down to -15 C. But it can be grown in a pot in a greenhouse, providing it is kept dry in summer and left out in the autumn rains.

It will increase by bulblets, naturalising quickly where growing conditions are favourable, allowing for the creation of drifts in borders or rock gardens. Plants may be lifted and divided every 3–4 years, to prevent overcrowding. It is also possible to grow from seed, but it will take several years before the bulbs are big enough to produce flowers.

Iris orchioides hybridizes freely with I. bucharica to create a large golden-flowered hybrid.

It is deer resistant.

Cultivars

  • Iris 'Sunny Side Up': a hybrid of Iris bucharica and Iris magnifica, this cultivar has yellow and white flowers. It grows up to a height of 50 cm
  • Iris bucharica 'Princess' (Foster): this cultivar flowers in April and May, the fragrant flowers (similar to freesia), are white with yellow blades on the falls. It reaches a height of 25-35 cm (also known as Iris orchioides f. bicolor)

References

References

  1. (23 March 2012). "Iris bucharica Foster". theplantlist.org.
  2. Komarov, V.L.. (1935). "Akademiya Nauk SSSR (FLORA of the U.S.S.R.) Vol. IV".
  3. James Cullen, Sabina G. Knees, H. Suzanne Cubey (Editors) {{Google books. CkxWrDqtWLQC. The European Garden Flora Flowering Plants: A Manual for the Identification
  4. (2008). "RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants". Dorling Kindersley.
  5. (1987). "Growing Irises". Christopher Helm.
  6. "Juno irises A-I".
  7. Dykes, W.R.. "A Handbook of Garden Irises". Martin Hopkinson Company Ltd..
  8. Austin, Claire. (2005). "Irises: A Gardener's Encyclopedia". Timber Press, Incorporated.
  9. Pascoe, Michael. "Iris bucharica". canadaplants.ca.
  10. Norris, Kelly D.. (February 2013). "Corn Leaf Iris". statebystategardening.com.
  11. "Corn Leaf Iris". hgtvgardens.com.
  12. "Iris bucharica". digdropdone.com.
  13. (6 January 2010). "Iris bucharica". signa.org.
  14. (December 2025). "Iris bucharica". yonemura.co.jp.
  15. John Weathers {{Google book. xrH9G4QjvUIC. The Bulb Book
  16. Klingaman, Gerald. (8 April 2011). "Iris bucharica". uaex.edu.
  17. "(SPEC) Iris bucharica Fos". wiki.irises.org (American Iris Society).
  18. "Iridaceae Iris bucharica Foster". ipni.org (International Plant Names Index).
  19. Buchan, Ursula. (28 March 2008). "Iris bucharica: How to grow". The Daily Telegraph.
  20. {{GRIN
  21. "Iris bucharica Foster". link. rhs.org.uk (Royal Horticultural Society)
  22. (11 April 2006). "Forcing Iris bucharica". growingwithplants.com.
  23. Dykes, W.R.. "A handbook of Garden Irises". Martin Hopkinson Company Ltd..
  24. (12 May 2008). "Pacific Rim Native Plant Nursery". www.hillkeep.ca.
  25. (12 May 2008). "IRIS FLEUR-DE-LYS Iridaceae (Iris family)". www.hillkeep.ca.

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iris-(plant)flora-of-uzbekistanflora-of-afghanistanflora-of-tajikistantaxa-named-by-michael-foster-(physiologist)