Trimezia martinicensis

Trimezia martinicensis is a species of bulbous plant in the family Iridaceae. Originally from South America and the West Indies, it is now widely naturalized throughout the tropics.^[1][2] Common names include Martinique trimezia,^[3] yellow walking iris^[4] and forenoon yellow flag.^[5]

Trimezia martinicensis
Naturalized in Malaysia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Monocots
Order:	Asparagales
Family:	Iridaceae
Genus:	Trimezia
Species:	T. martinicensis
Binomial name
Trimezia martinicensis (Jacq.) Herb.[1]

Distinction from Trimezia steyermarkii

Trimezia martinicensis is closely related to T. steyermarkii,^[6] with which it has been widely confused.^[7] Clive Innes describes T. martinicensis as having a brown mark at the base of each outer tepal, whereas T. steyermarkii has brownish-purple bands.^[8] In Kubitzki & Huber (1998), the flowers of T. martinicensis are shown as opening less widely than those of T. steyermarkii. The inner tepals of both species are S-shaped in cross-section; those of T. martinicensis are more-or-less upright (Innes describes them as "folded inwards"^[9]), whereas those of T. steyermarkii bend outwards into a more elongated shape so that the top of the S is not visible from above.^[10] A diagnostic feature is that the style crests of T. martinicensis are short, whereas those of T. steyermarkii are longer,^[10] about 3–4 mm (0.12–0.16 in) long, comparable in length to its anthers, which are about 4 mm (0.16 in) long.^[11] Another difference is that the leaves of T. martinicensis are narrower, only about 1.3 cm (0.5 in) wide, whereas those of T. steyermarkii are 2.5–3.4 cm (1.0–1.3 in) wide.^[12]

References

1. "Trimezia martinicensis", World Checklist of Selected Plant Families, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, retrieved 2012-04-27
2. Innes, Clive (1985), The World of Iridaceae, Ashington, UK: Holly Gate International, ISBN 978-0-948236-01-3, p. 377
3. USDA, NRCS (n.d.). "​Trimezia martinicensis​". The PLANTS Database (plants.usda.gov). Greensboro, North Carolina: National Plant Data Team. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
4. University of North Florida
5. Henderson, M.R. (1961), Common Malaysian Wildflowers, London, etc.: Longman, p. 57
6. Innes 1985, p. 378
7. Trimezia, Pacific Bulb Society, archived from the original on 2012-01-06, retrieved 2012-04-27
8. Innes 1985, pp. 377–378
9. Innes 1985, p. 377.
10. Kubitzki, Klaus & Huber, Herbert, eds. (1998), The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants : Volume III, Flowering Plants Monocotyledons : Lilianae (except Orchidaceae), Berlin, etc.: Springer-Verlag, ISBN 978-3-540-64060-8, p. 304
11. Stevens, W.D.; Ulloa Ulloa, Carmen; Pool, Amy; Montiel, Olga Martha, eds. (2001), "Flore de Nicaragua, Vol. 2", Missouri Bot. Gard. Monographs in Syst. Bot. (in Spanish), 85 (2), translated at Trimezia steyermarkii (PIER species info), retrieved 2012-05-06
12. Staples, George W. & Herbst, Derral R. (2005), A Tropical Garden Flora, Honolulu: Bishop Museum Press, ISBN 978-1-58178-039-0