Iris macrosiphon

Taxobox
name = "Iris macrosiphon"


image_width = 250px
image_caption = Bowltube Iris
regnum = Plantae
divisio = Magnoliophyta
classis = Liliopsida
ordo = Asparagales
familia = Iridaceae
subfamilia = Iridoideae
tribus = Irideae
genus = "Iris"
subgenus = "Limniris"
series = "Californicae"
species = "I. macrosiphon"
binomial = "Iris macrosiphon"
binomial_authority = Torr.

"Iris macrosiphon" (Bowltube Iris) is a flowering plant in the iris family, endemic to California in the Cascade Range Foothills, north and central Sierra Nevada Foothills, Inner North Coast Ranges, and San Francisco Bay Area, where it occurs in sunny grasslands, meadows, and open woodlands.

The leaves are very slender, 2.5-5 mm wide, and blue-green in color. The flower is variable, golden yellow to cream or pale lavender to deep blue-purple, generally with darker veins. The flower stems are usually short (less than 25 cm) when in the sun and bear 2 flowers. It blooms in spring.

Uses

Used as a source of fiber by Native Americans. The fiber was used for fish nets, deer snares and other items.

It is also cultivated as an ornamental plant, where it prefers dry summer dormancy, with good drainage.

References

* [http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?Iris+macrosiphon Jepson Flora Project: "Iris macrosiphon"]
* [http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=43220 ITIS 43220]
* [http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101709 Flora of North America:]
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=IRMA USDA: Plants Profile:]
* [http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?text_only=0&display1=image+ID+num&where-calrecnum=4355 Images from the CalPhotos archive:]
*Harlow, Nora, Jakob, Kristin, and Raiche, Roger (2003) "Wild Lilies, Irises, and Grasses". University of California Press. ISBN 0-520-23849-4
* [http://www.paleotechnics.com/Articles/Irisarticle.html Fiber uses of "Iris macrosiphon"]