Appearance
It has slender rhizomes, which are up to 1 cm in diameter. They do not have stolons, and new growths of rhizomes, are on the sides of the old rhizomes. They form tufts, and spreading plants.It has pale glaucous green, narrow leaves,: 190 that can grow up to between 15 and 20 cm long, and between 0.5 and 0.7 cm wide. The leaves all die in the summer after the flowers have bloomed, then re-appear next season. The foliage is very similar to "Iris iberica", but it is less falcate,.
It has a slender stem or peduncle, that can grow up to between 10 and 40 cm tall.
Distribution
It is native to temperate Asia.Status
Due to the attractive flowers, they are vulnerable from picking by locals and walkers.The iris is listed as 'rare' in Iraq, within the Zagros mountain range, along with another endemic species "Tragopogon rechingeri".
Habitat
It is native to temperate Asia.It grows on the dry and stony hills, or sub-alpine slopes, or steppes.They can be found at an altitude of up to 2,500 m above sea level.
Defense
Like many other irises, most parts of the plant are poisonous, and if mistakenly ingested can cause stomach pains and vomiting. Also, handling the plant may cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction.Evolution
It has one accepted subspecies "Iris barnumiae ssp. demavendica" and two forms "I. barnumiae" f. "protonyma" B.Mathew & Wendelbo and "I. barnumiae" f. "urmiensis" B.Mathew & Wendelbo. Sometimes "I. barnumiae" f. "barnumiae" is used to describe the basic form."I. barnumae subsp. barnumiae" f. "urmiensis"
It is an accepted name by the RHS, while 'I. barnumiae f. protonyma' is listed as 'unchecked'.
"I. barnumae subsp. barnumiae" f. "urmiensis" was originally "Iris urmiensis" and it was published and described by Hoog in 'Gardener's Chronicle' in 1900 on page373.
It was then published in The Garden 17 November 1900, then in the Botanical Magazine 7784 in 1901.
It has 4 known synonyms, "Iris barnumiae var. urmiensis" Dykes, "Iris chrysantha" Baker, "Iris polakii" f. "urmiensis" Stapf. and "Iris urmiensis" Hoog.
It was named after Lake Urumiah in Persia. Although, plants are normally found on the mountains of Turkey, Iran, or Iraq. It is thought that the northern populations of the "I. barnumiae" are mostly the urmiensis form.
A specimen was collected by James C. Archibald in Iran on 23 May 1966 at 2,070 m above sea level. It is now stored in the Herbarium of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.
It was later re-classified as a form of "I. barnumiae" by Mathew and Wendelbo in Flora Iranica Vol.112 on page35 in 1975.
It has a similar plant form to "Iris iberica", with similar rhizomes and a plant height, of between 15 and 40 cm tall. But it has yellow flowers, that are fragranced. It also has falls that are much smaller than the standards and have an orange beard but no signal patch, the standards are 2in high and nearly 1.5in in diameter. Sometimes the beard is thought to be more straggly than "I. barnumiae". The pollen of the flowers are 92 microns wide.
It is often misnamed as 'Iris urmiensis'. Some authors consider it a separate species.
"I. barnumiae" f. "protonyma" B.Mathew & Wendelbo was published and described in 'Flora Iranica' Vol.112 on page 34 in 1975, as "I. polakii" f. "protonyma". "I. polakii" f. "protonyma" was later classed as a synonym of "I. barnumiae" f. "protonyma".
It has brownish-purple flowers with short, glaucous green leaves.
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