Comparative assessment of the genus Iris L. species ecological-physiological features

The purpose of the study is a comparative assessment of the features of the water regime of 9 species of the genus Iris L. growing in the Southern Urals: I. sibirica, I. pseudacorus – species of local flora; I. aphylla, I. biglumis, I. lactea, I. orientalis, I. ruthenica, I. setosa, I. spuria – introduced species. The study was conducted during the growing seasons of 2018-2020. using generally accepted physiological methods (methods of saturation and artificial wilting). The analysis of the daily and seasonal dynamics of the parameters of the water regime: total water content (W), water retention capacity (R), water deficit (V) is carried out. During the period of budding and flowering, all species are characterized by high W. During the period of fruiting, its high level is retained only in I. aphylla and I. setosa. It was revealed that the Central Asian species I. lactea and I. ruthenica are characterized by a significant daily and seasonal amplitude of water content. The most significant interspecific differences were found for the R and V indices. Local species and I. ruthenica are distinguished by high fluctuations in R; by the end of the season, the indicator declines. For introduced species I. biglumis, I. lactea, I. orientalis, I. spuria, the character of seasonal changes in the indicator is not pronounced, the amplitude of fluctuations is small. The similarity of local species and introduced species in the V parameter is established: low values of the parameter in the morning and evening hours, an increase in the indicator and an increase in the range of daily fluctuations during the fruiting period. The differences between the species were manifested in the time of formation of the maximum V and its value. The greatest undersaturation of leaves with water occurs in the introduced species I. spuria, I. ruthenica, I. lactea, I. orientalis and the local flora species I. sibirica. The lowest daily V in both phenological phases was noted for I. aphylla. According to the type of water regime, the species were divided into 4 groups: flexible-calm water regime – I. Pseudacorus; flexible-tense – I. sibirica, I. ru-thenica; stable-calm – I. aphylla, I. biglumis, I. setosa; stable-tense – I. spuria, I. lactea, I. orientalis