Iris lactea seed
LATIN NAME: IRIS LACTEA
COMMON NAME: Chinese Iris
Across the dry grasslands of the northern steppe, the Chinese iris grows in tough, grey-green clumps of long, narrow, sword-shaped leaves, the branched stems rising above them with the pale, blue-violet flowers, each with the white falls and the yellow signals, opening in the late spring. In time it steadily becomes a rounded crown, reaching 5-10 metres. It is content in the full sun and the ordinary, well-drained ground.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The Chinese iris figures in the studies of the drought-tolerant and salt-tolerant perennials of the northern grasslands, its tough clumps and its fibrous root system keeping it in view in the work on the degraded-land restoration and the soil-binding garden plants. The research looks at the way the grey-green blades resist the drying winds, the tough seed capsules split open, and the seed biology of this hardy and undemanding iris.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
On the roadside banks and the dry, sunny slopes, the Chinese iris holds the ground with its dense, fibrous clumps and opens the pale, elegant flowers above the grey-green blades. The tough leaves have served the basket weavers of the steppe, the flowers feed the early bees, and the plant makes the fine ground cover, the bank stabiliser and the hardy border iris. It asks only for the sun and the patience to let the clumps thicken.
To grow the Chinese Iris from seed, sow the seeds in pots of gritty, well-drained compost.
Sow the seeds in pots of gritty, well-drained compost, and keep the young plants in the open, sunny spot. The blue-violet flowers open in the late spring.
LATIN NAME: Iris lactea
COMMON NAME: White Iris, Milky Iris, Lactea Iris
The milky iris is a graceful and hardy iris of the central Asian grasslands, and its pale, milky-blue blooms and its neat, sword-like leaves are a lovely sight of the summer. In good conditions it grows a dense, bushy clump, staying under a metre. It is a species in the genus Iris, and it is the only species in the series Ensatae, while it is a rhizomatous perennial from central Asia, with pale blue or violet flowers, and it is cultivated as an ornamental plant in the temperate regions.
The milky iris belongs to the iris family, Iridaceae, and it is a species in the genus Iris, the only species in the series Ensatae. It is a rhizomatous perennial from central Asia, and it is known as the white iris or the milky iris, prized for its pale, milky-blue flowers and its neat, sword-like leaves.
Scientific Research & Plant Biotechnology
The milky iris has a genuine and growing place in both botanical and horticultural research. It has been studied in botany, since it is a distinctive member of the iris family, the only species in its series, and researchers have examined its classification and its relationships within the genus, while the study of the irises and their many groups has been of continuing interest, and the series Ensatae and its place in the genus have been examined. The iris has also been studied in horticulture, since it is a graceful and hardy plant of the garden, and researchers have examined its cultivation, its growth and its value in the border, while the hardy irises of the grasslands have been examined, and the use of the plant in the garden has been examined, while its pale, milky blooms have drawn attention in the international gardening press as a graceful iris of the meadow. The species has also been studied in ecology, since it is a plant of the central Asian grasslands, and its growth and its role in the grassland community have been examined. For an iris of such grace, the milky iris has a steady and growing record of research.
Ecological & Economic Value & Wide Applications
Ecologically, the milky iris is a generous plant of the central Asian grasslands. Its pale blooms feed the bees and the insects, and its neat leaves give cover, while it is a graceful presence in the meadows and the grasslands of central Asia.
Its economic value is real. It is a graceful and hardy iris of the garden, and its pale, milky blooms have drawn attention in the international gardening press as a graceful iris of the meadow, while the hardy irises are also valued in the stabilising of the soil and the landscaping of the dry places. For a grower, the milky iris is an easy and graceful plant, and for a gardener it brings pale, milky-blue blooms and neat, sword-like leaves. The seeds need a spell of cold — keep them in damp compost in the fridge for a couple of months, then sow them in a pot of moist, free-draining compost in a sunny spot, and theyll sprout steadily, growing on into a graceful, milky-bloomed iris.