Iridaceae

I. aucheri (Baker) Sealy in Kew Bull. 1949:562 (1950). Syn: Xiphion aucheri Baker in J. Bot. (London) 9:110 (1871)! Juno aucheri (Baker) Klatt in Bot. Zeitung 30:498 (1872)! Iris fumosa Boiss. & Hausskn. ex Boiss., Fl. Or. 5:123(1882);/. sindjarensis Boiss. & Hausskn. in Boiss., op cit. 122 (1882); /. assyriaca Hort. ex Irvingir The Garden 69:195 (1906). Ic: Bot. Mag. 116: t. 7145 (1890), as/, sindjarensis;Rech. fil, Fl. Iranica 112: t. 18 f. 2(1975); Mathew, The Iris col. t. 28(1981). Map 59.
Plant 15-40 cm. Bulb 2.5-3.5 cm diam. Leaves 5-12, well developed at anthesis, to 25 cm, 2.4-4.3 cm broad at base, lanceolate, falcate, prominently close-nerved, glabrous or minutely papillose beneath, glossy green above, upper shorter and becoming bract-like and paler at base. Stem concealed by leaves at anthesis, internodes becoming visible in fruit. Bract and bracteole long-acuminate. Flowers 3-6, deep blue to nearly white; perianth tube 5-6(-6.5) cm; falls 4-5.5(-6) cm, claw winged, (1.7-)2.5-3.5 x2-2.2 cm,lamina ±orbicular or elliptic, 1.5-2 x 1.3-2.2 cm, raargia undulate, crest prominent, erose-crenulate, papulose, yellow or cream; standards patent to deflexed, obovate, 2-3.5 x 0.6-1.3 cm, with a narrow claw; style branches 3.5-5 cm. Capsule narrowly cylindrical, 6-8 x 1.1-1.3 cm; seeds c, 3 hub, rugose. Fl. 2-4. Rock ledges and rocky grounds, rarely in fields, 550-2100 m.
Type: Syria: [? ax Aleppo], Aucher 2137 (holo. K!).
E. Anatolia. B7 Elazig: 3 km from Maden to Ergani, T. Baytop (ISTE 34435)! B7/8 Diyarbakir: Diyarbakir to Ergani, Leylek station, 800 m, Güner 1629! B8 Siirt: Sason, Karatas, on Haikis Da. abese Şeyham village, 1300 m, Güner 1529! B9 Siirt: Şirvan,nr Demirkapi, 1500m,Güner 1626! C6Hatay: Aleppo to Antioch, Rogers G587! C7 Urfa: Birecik and Harran, 18 iii 1913, Egger! C8 Mardin: Mardin, anon. 176! C9 Siirt: Eruh, ar Üzümlük, 1100 m, Güner 1625! Hakkari: Hakkari nr Kaval, 1300 m,Güner 1668! C10 Hakkari: ŞemdinE, Ümit Tepesi, 1700 m, T. Baytop (ISTE 26070)!
Syria, Iraq (Mesopotamia), N.W. Iran, lordan. Ir.-Tur. element. Very variable in stature, flower colour and shape of fails. The differences, however, seem to bear no relationship to distribution.