Abbeville Red Iris (Iris nelsonii)
Description
Iris nelsonii is a species in the genus Iris, it is also in the subgenus of Limniris and in the Series hexagonae. It is a rhizomatous perennial, from northern America. It has long drooping, grass-like leaves, tall stems, 10 red-purple flowers. Iris nelsonii spreads into large colonies by rhizomes. It has long and narrow grass-like green leaves, which are often droop and becoming glaucous. They are 1–3 centimetres (0.39–1.18 in) wide and grow up to 80–90 cm (31–35 in) long. They do not grow as tall as the stem. The stems grow up to 70–110 cm tall (28–43 in), (28-43 inches) with 2-4 branches. It blooms between April and May, (a week or 2 later then Iris fulva and Iris giganticaerulea, in the UK (June,) with up to 10 flowers, that are 4-5 inches across. The large flowers come in a range of shades from red-purple, to bright red to brown, and occasionally yellow. The rare yellows are sometimes called 'Abberville yellows'. The flowers are often drooping or flaring, There are two top (terminal) flower buds, and often two buds together on the stalks. There is often a "signal" or bright spot on the petals. The Iris flowers have three pollination units, each of which is composed of a sepal and stylar branch subtended by a single anther and the nectary. When a pollinator attempts to access the nectar, pollen is deposited on the head or the body of the pollinator. When the pollinator visits the next flower, the pollen (of the first flower) is deposited onto the stigmatic surface that folds down in front of the anther. After flowering, the iris produces a seed capsule, which tapers to a point at both ends.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Liliopsida
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Order: Asparagales
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Family: Iridaceae
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Genus: Iris
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