Iris croatica - a new species of Iris from Croatia

In the mountains of north Croatia in thermophil oak wood grows a really nice blue-violet iris, which was considered as Iris germánica, which extended from the gardens to the natural habitats. But, with more carefully observation it was showed, that this plant from natural habitats is very much different from Iris germánica in consideration of stem’s ramification, of leafs length, and especially of more inflated spathes and of many characteristics in constitution and colour of flowers. This iris belongs to the new species from affinity Iris aphylla, so this species is described as Iris croatica, and we bring the description, the differences toward the congenial species, it variability and the distribution. The Latin diagnose with its essential characteristics is included in the Croatian text. Iris croatica distinguishes from many other subspecies and forms of I. aphylla s. 1. in the first way in the greatness of all parts of the plant, then with the number of flowers on the branches and with short, oval and very inflated spathes. The new iris shows many differences on the same locality depending if this plant has grown on the shallow stony soil, on the uncovered locality or on deeper soil in the scrub or in the bright small wood. This differences are phenotypical. But, this species is different also on the single localities, which include isolated populations with really expressive genotypic speciality. Based on this specialities we can distinguish several forms, but we must still determine if they are not the systematic unities of higher category. The Iris croatica is morphologically narrowly related to Iris aphylla. The same number of chromosoms, the morphology and geographical distribution shows their same origin. Iris aphylla is distributed from the Middle Europe on the west, along the north and southern margin of Carpathians and Pannonian basin, till Ukraine and Caucasus, from where reaches in Asia minor. New species of I. croatica on the contrary inhabits separated area in the north-western part of Croatia, and makes with the area of I. aphylla encircled unbroken ground of panonnian-pontic distribution. Iris croatica is developed in relict centar of tertiary vegetation, and in morphological view unites some characteristics of other forms of species I. aphylla, so we can it consider like probable origin of the whole group