Iris macrosiphon (Bowltube Iris)
Credit: Carol Wilson
about the species
The bowltube iris is endemic to Northern California where it occurs in at-risk and fire-prone oak grassland and mixed evergreen forest habitats. Within the landscape I. macrosiphon provides food resources, including nectar, pollen, fleshy appendages on developing seeds, and underground storage organs (rhizomes) that are rich in carbohydrates and oils. Rhizomes can survive fires and drought and also provide renewal shoots for regrowth where the species can take advantage of short growing seasons through its readily available reserves.
why species was selected
The genomics of underground organs sequestering nutrients and water, nectar production, and seed appendages are relatively unknown but likely to provide important information about resistance to climate change and food production within the landscape.
