Iris susiana

Iris susiana, commonly known as the mourning iris, is a species of perennial plant in the family Iridaceae. The mourning iris is native to the Middle East. It grows in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey, although it is believed to be extinct in the wild. It is popular as a cut flower as the flowers can easily span 12 centimeters. The survival of the species is seriously threatened by excessive picking.

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Iris susiana has a short, compact, brown rhizome and long secondary roots that grow beneath the soil. Stems can grow to 30–38 cm (12–15 in) tall. The leaves can reach 25 cm long and 5–12 mm wide. The leaves are glaucous and slightly curved, and the spathes slightly dilate at the base. It has one flower per stem, which blooms in May. Like other irises, the flowers have two pairs of petals: three large sepals (outer petals, known as the 'falls') and three inner, smaller petals (or tepals, known as the 'standards'). External tepals are reflexed, ovate, approximately 7 cm long and 4 cm wide, and strongly spotted with purple on a bluish-white base. Internal tepals are erect, with a color similar to or lighter than its external tepals. Veins are white or purplish. Branches of the plant's style (part of the stigma) are 2–3 cm long. It has short, rounded lobes and a denticulate margin. Genetics As with most irises, Iris susiana is diploid, having two sets of chromosomes. Its diploid cells have 20 chromosomes. Genetic variations give rise to phenotypic differences which can be used to identify hybrids and classification of groupings.