A TAXONOMIC APPRAISAL OF GENUS IRIS L. (IRIDACEAE) IN KASHMIR HIMALAYA, INDIA

From the Kashmir Himalaya, the Irises have been little investigated taxonomically. As a result of this, the species richness of irises reported from this region has been numerically variable and taxonomically confusing. In view of this, the present study has been undertaken to work out the taxonomy of Iris L. in this Himalayan region. A taxonomic account of fourteen (14) species of Iris recorded in the Kashmir Himalaya has been provided. Updated nomenclature, with basionym and synonyms (if any), description, altitudinal range, distribution pattern and colored illustration of the Iris species in the region is provided. The species: Iris japonica, I versicolor and I. hollandica are three new species records for the study area.