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Sicilian Iris |
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| Nomenclature |
Species name: |
Iris sicula Todaro |
Author(s): |
Agostino Todaro;
Italy, 1818-1892
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Synonyms: |
Iris pallida, Iris florentina var. pallida |
Common names: |
Sicilian Iris |
Maltese names: |
FjurduliŻ Sqalli |
Plant Family: |
|
Status: |
SubEndemic |
Name Derivation: | Iris = "Rainbow coloured, referring to the wide variety of flower colours found among the species of thi Genus. Iris was the Greek goddess of the rainbow in Greek mythology. Further info: [1] [2] [3]". (Greek origin)
sicula = From or related to Sicily (a region and large island in South Italy). (Latin origin) |
Remarks: |
Confined to the Maltese Islands and Sicily. Locally it is very rare. -
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| Specifications & Description |
Life Cycle: | Perennial |
Habitat: | Rocky places mostly at valley sides. |
Frequency: | Undetermined |
Localities in Malta: | Location will remain undisclosed to protect the plant from picking. |
Plant Height: | 70-120cm. |
| Apr - Jun |
Poison: | Data not available |
This
is
one
of
the
most
beautiful
wild
Irises
in
Malta,
and
unfortunately
a
rare
species
restricted
to
very
few
locations
in
Malta
and
Gozo.
The
plant
grows
from
underground,
thick,
horizontally
running
rhizomes
that
survive
the
arid
and
hot
Summer
in
Malta.
The
rhizomes
produce
broad,
sword-shaped
leaves
growing
in
a
V-shaped
arrangement,
where
the
younger
leaf
envelopes
out
from
the
one
beneath.
They
can
grow
between
20-50cm
long
and
2-4cm
wide.
The
leaves
of
other
ornamental
Irises
(such
as
I.
germanica)
are
usually
more
narrow
and
do
not
have
a
bluish-green
colour(glacous)
as
Iris
sicula.
The
margin
is
entire
and
the
lamina
is
glabrous
with
several
parallel
veins,
sometimes
bulging.
In
Early
spring,
the
bulb
forms
tall
scapes,
exceeding
the
leaves
that
can
reach
120cm
in
height.
It
forms
between
4
to
7
flowers
which
are
well
spaced
from
each
other
(by
about
10-15cm).
Each
large
and
highly
conspicuous
flower
has
a
rather
pale
indigo-violet
colour
and
blossom
in
Mid
April
till
June.
The
flower
is
subtended
by
a
silvery-white
membranous
(papery)
spathe,
which
turns
green
towards
the
base.
Each
flower
has
six
non-identical
tepals.
The
3
outer
tepals
are
known
as
falls
and
are
found
drooping
down,
while
the
other
3
inner
tepals
-
known
as
standards
-
are
erect
and
upright.
The
standards
are
pleated
and
slightly
decorated
at
the
basal
margins.
On
the
contrary,
the
falls
are
highly
decorated
by
a
zebra-like
brown,
pale
yellow
and
white
pattern
at
its
inner
part
(the
claw)
which
gradually
fades
out
towards
the
remaining
upper
half
of
the
tepal.
Furthermore,
each
fall
has
an
interesting
central
band
of
yellow
bristles
which
is
referred
to
as
the
beard.
The
beard
is
about
5cm
long
and
7mm
wide.
The
yellow
bristles
becomes
white
towards
the
outer
end
of
the
tepal.
There
is
a
set
of
3
styles
and
as
in
many
irises,
they
have
a
unique
showy
structure.
In
this
species,
each
style
has
the
shape
of
a
petal
(hence
called
as
a
petaloid
style)
and
is
located
just
over
each
fall
tepal.
It
consists
of
2
joined
lips
of
different
lengths
and
colour.
The
shorter
lip
is
lilac-white
and
generally
smooth.
The
longer
lip
is
concolorous
with
the
rest
of
the
flower
and
has
2
triangular
lobes
with
a
lacerated
margin.
The
lobes
start
more
or
less
at
the
rim
of
the
shorter
lip.
The
stigma
is
located
somewhere
at
the
base
and
between
the
lobes
of
the
upper
lip.
The
3
stamens
are
found
sandwiched
between
the
petaloid
style
and
the
fall
tepal.
The
stamens
have
a
pair
of
pale
yellow
pod-like
anthers
that
are
about
15mm
long.
After
fertilization,
the
flower
tepals
shrivel
and
fall,
while
the
ovary
develops
into
a
cylindrical/oval
fruit
capsule.
This
produces
many
dark-brown
seeds,
about
3mm
across
which
are
liberated
when
the
capsule
splits
open.
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