Iris pseudocapnoides Ruksans, sp. nov. Typus: Uzbekistan, Chimgan, on rocky outcrops, Ruksans 1975, Ruksans & Seisums 1996-28-4, ARJA 9622 (GB, holo, ex culturae in horto Janis Ruksans). Ic.: Buried Treasures (Portland, OR, 2007), Plates 108 and 109. Subgen. Scorpiris. Radices longae, tumidae. Caulis c. 30 cm altus. Folia p.m. falcate sensim angustata, infima 25–30 mm lata, initio approximata, demum distantia. Flores 2–5, albus. Perigonii phylla exteriora ad unguem nervo aureolinus percursa; crista alba crenata; interiora 17–22 mm longa, trilobata. Iris capnoides et I. orchioides affinis. A I. capnoides flores colores et radices longioribus bone differt; a I. orchioides crista crenata (I. orchioides—ciliata) et radices vel tumidae bone differt.

Arnis was mostly looking for the plant I had collected at Chimgan many years ago during my first or second visit, which I later sent to Michael Hoog in the Netherlands and to the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. It is a Juno iris with very pale yellowish, almost white flowers. It is such a strange color that I never associate it with Iris orchioides. I made the mistake initially of naming it I. capnoides, a beautiful plant closely related to I. orchioides and growing not far from Chimgan. In reality this Juno iris from Chimgan was a new species, I. pseudocapnoides (Plates 108 and 109), well distinguished by the shape of its additional roots, which are thick and long, somewhat similar to those of I. vicaria and I. magnifica. The crest of the ridge on the falls is undulate but not hairy. In this aspect it approximates I. capnoides, but it is a plant of mountain meadows with purplish-toned blooms, and the additional roots are shorter, too. In all other variants of I. orchioides sensu lato the crest is distinctly more or less hairy. It is an excellent plant in the garden, growing up to 30 cm high with up to five large flowers in the leaf axils.