Eugeny V. Boltenkov

Unfortunately, the statuses of the numerous names of the genus Iris at specific rank remain unresolved. This study considers I. pandurata, the species that was first described in 1880 and then 30 years later and is, however, still synonymized with I. tigridia. The morphological relationship between these two species and I. trippneriana, a previously unplaced name, has been assessed here. The morphological analysis has revealed that I. pandurata and I. trippneriana are actually a single species that can easily be distinguished from I. tigridia by the rhizome shape, the adventitious roots shape, the flowering stem structure, and the falls ornamentation. The results support the reinstatement and recognition of I. pandurata at specific rank, including I. trippneriana as a synonym. Being endemic to China, I. pandurata has a narrow distribution range in the Qilian Mountains in the Gansu and Qinghai provinces. This report provides an updated nomenclature for I. pandurata, including I. tigridia, detailed photographs of living plants to facilitate identification, images of type specimens, a list of specimens examined, and comments on their distributions and habitats. A lectotype for I. trippneriana is designated here.

Iris scariosa is a rhizomatous perennial whose taxonomy and distribution range still remain unclear. The results of our examination of literature, specimens, and wild plants have shown that I. glaucescens, described from Kazakhstan, and I. timofejewii, considered to be endemic to the Republic of Dagestan, Russia, are very closely related to I. scariosa. We have carried out molecular phylogenetic analyses for the first time to clarify the taxonomy of I. scariosa. For this, we sequenced six chloroplast DNA regions of an extended sampling that comprised the accepted species I. glaucescens and I. timofejewii, which has revealed their strong affinity to the accession of I. scariosa from the vicinity of Astrakhan, Russia. A thorough revision of the morphological characters has confirmed the lack of evident differences between I. scariosa and I. timofejewii. Thus, the analyses support a broad species circumscription of I. scariosa. We here reduce I. timofejewii, as well as I. curvifolia, considered to be endemic to Xinjiang, western China, to synonymy of I. scariosa. Color illustrations, updated nomenclature, and data on distribution of I. scariosa are provided. A lectotype for I. astrachanica and a neotype for I. timofejewii are designated here. Also, the phylogenetic relationships within I. subg. Iris are outlined, and an updated classification of the subgenus is proposed. We have recovered six major lineages within four major clades which we recognize as sections. Here, we propose two new nomenclatural combinations, a revised taxonomic treatment, and a new identification key to I. subg. Iris.

Iris thoroldii is a perennial herbaceous plant with yellow, blue, or purple flowers. The species is native to the Tibetan Plateau and adjacent areas. In the literature and databases, I. thoroldii has long been treated in synonymy with I. potaninii. Currently, yellow-flowered plants of I. thoroldii are considered I. potanii, and blue-flowered plants are considered I. zhaoana, a replacement name for I. potaninii var. ionantha. This study aimed to clarify the taxonomic identity of I. thoroldii. A critical examination of original material, herbarium specimens, images of living plants, and the literature has shown I. thoroldii to be different from I. potaninii in some previously neglected macromorphological traits and to be conspecific with I. zhaoana. Thus, I. thoroldii is removed here from the synonymy of I. potaninii and accepted as a distinct species. This is endemic to China (central Gansu, Qinghai, and northwestern Sichuan provinces, and also Xinjiang Uygur and Tibet autonomous regions) and reaches the highest elevations compared with all other species in the genus Iris s.l. A revised taxonomy of I. thoroldii is provided, and two color forms, often co-occurring, are accepted: the autonymic yellow-flowered form (including a new synonym I. tigridia var. flavescens for which a lectotype was designated) and a form with blue or purple colors is proposed here, I. thoroldii f. ionantha. In addition, images of type specimens and detailed photographs of living plants for easy identification, along with the list of specimens of I. thoroldii that were examined, and also, comments on its distribution and habitats are provided.

Since the early 20th century, Iris maackii (Iridaceae) has been considered a synonym of I. laevigata, a synonym of I. pseudacorus, or an accepted species. The current concept of I. maackii in the literature and databases is often applied to yellow-flowered plants with prominently veined rosette leaves, which are diagnostic features of I. pseudacorus growing in Northeast Asia. Therefore, the objective was to clarify the taxonomic identity of I. maackii. This study is based on a critical examination of the literature, on the observed morphological characters in the holotype of I. maackii, and on a morphological comparison of I. maackii with living plants of I. laevigata and I. pseudacorus. Additionally, a morphometric comparison of the seed characters was carried out to clarify the morphological distinction among I. maackii, I. laevigata, and I. pseudacorus. A careful study demonstrated that the rosette leaf texture and the morphology of the flowering stem, fruit, and seeds of I. maackii are identical to or within the variation range of I. laevigata. Thus, I. maackii is morphologically non-distinct from I. laevigata and should be recognized as a taxonomic synonym of the latter. An image of the holotype of I. maackii is provided along with detailed illustrations of I. laevigata and I. pseudacorus.

Iris sect. Psammiris comprises rhizomatous perennials distributed in the north temperate zone of Eurasia. The systematics of the section are currently based on morphology, and the phylogenetic relationships within it still remain unclear. In the framework of Iris systematics, we conducted molecular and morphological analyses of the currently recognized I. sect. Psammiris species to elucidate the taxonomic composition and relationships within the section. The phylogenetic reconstructions based on sequence variation of four noncoding chloroplast DNA regions support the monophyly of I. sect. Psammiris, which includes I. tigridia, while I. potaninii var. ionantha belongs to I. sect. Pseudoregelia. The proposed novel classification of I. sect. Psammiris recognizes three series: an autonymic series with I. humilis, I. bloudowii, and I. vorobievii and two unispecific series (I. ser. Potaninia with I. potaninii and I. ser. Tigridiae with I. tigridia). In addition, the taxonomic statuses of I. arenaria, I. ivanovae, I. kamelinii, I. mandshurica, I. pineticola, I. psammocola, and I. schmakovii are clarified herein. We provide a revised taxonomic treatment for I. sect. Psammiris, including notes on the types; updated information on species synonymy, distributions, habitats, and chromosome numbers; and a new identification key to the species. Three lectotypes are designated here.

Nicola Terracciano described Xiphion collinum (Iridaceae) in 1872, based on specimens collected in Campania region, southwestern Italy. The taxon has been treated as a synonym of Iris graminea, of I. lorea, or of I. sintenisii. Critical evaluation of original material and literature confirms that X. collinum and I. lorea are the same taxon, here regarded as a synonym of I. sintenisii. This species can be chiefly distinguished from I. graminea by its rosette leaves firmer and narrower, stem terete, outer bract not longer than the inner one, claw of the outer perianth segments without distinct wings, and fruits with a slender beak and ribs in close pairs. Besides, a lectotype is designated for the name Xiphion collinum and the correct combination in Chamaeiris is provided.

Viktor Janka von Bulcs described five names in Iris, i.e., I. balkana, I. cretensis, I. lorea, I. mellita, and I. sintenisii. These names are typified on specimens deposited at BP, JE, LD, and P, and taxonomical information is provided in the present report. Lectotypes are designated for I. mellita (a taxonomic synonym of I. suaveolens) deposited at Friedrich Schiller University Jena (JE), for I. sintenisii at Lund University (LD), and for I. lorea (a taxonomic synonym of I. sintenisii) at the French National Museum of Natural History (P). A neotype is designated and an image provided for the name I. balkana (a taxonomic synonym of I. reichenbachii) deposited at the Hungarian Natural History Museum (BP). The lectotype for I. cretensis (a taxonomic synonym of I. unguicularis) from JE is corrected. Images of plants of the accepted taxa are provided.

The species of Iris subser. Chrysographes are herbaceous perennials found mainly in southwestern and central China and also in the Eastern Himalayas. To date, six species have been recognized in this group. In the framework of its taxonomic revision, we have carried out molecular and morphological studies. For this, we have sequenced four chloroplast DNA regions (trnS–trnG, trnL–trnF, rps4–trnS^GGA, and psbA–trnH) for 25 samples across the major distribution ranges of the six species. Our phylogenetic analyses evidence that I. subser. Chrysographes is indeed a monophyletic group, which is sister to I. subser. Sibiricae. Within I. subser. Chrysographes, we have recovered four divergent lineages further supported by diagnosable morphological traits and geographical distributions. In this context, our data confirm the recognition of I. clarkei, I. delavayi, and I. wilsonii in their traditional concepts. Furthermore, both molecular and morphological data support the close affinities and similar distribution ranges of I. bulleyana, I. chrysographes, and I. forrestii, which suggests including I. chrysographes and I. forrestii as color forms in I. bulleyana. A revised taxonomic treatment for the group, including the notes on the species distributions and habitats, and also an identification key to the species are provided.

Nomenclature issues of irises associated with the Turkish flora are discussed. In particular, Iris orientalis and four related names, I. ochroleuca, I. monnieri, I. gigantea, and I. albida, are typified. Lectotypes are designated for I. orientalis, I. monnieri, I. gigantea, and I. albida; a neotype for the Linnaean name I. ochroleuca is designated. Also, further support is provided for the suggestions that I. monnieri is a synonym to I. orientalis, and the author citation of the name I. monnieri is Redouté.