RE: CULT: stray seedling & question

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Another stray seedling with unknown parents. Came from a dumping ground
where it could be anything from a balanced amphidiploid to a TB. My
best guess would be an AB of the OGB- sort based on an appraisal of this
bloom and the plant growth habits. I have to say I like this, so it won't
be sent to the compost heap. Reminds me of those I call the 'butterfly'
series. Smaller TB height, smaller blooms and ...well, a butterfly wing
type pattern on the falls. There's a faint but visible glow of the standard
color on the falls, especially toward the outer edges. Gives it a nice
iridescent effect.

But I'm not sure what I'm seeing is a fully developed bloom here. Probably
enough to give an idea of the basic color and pattern, but whatever is still
eating on the iris ate this stalk off in the middle leaving only a lower bud
to bloom naturally. The bud was showing color, but wasn't emerged. That
brings me to a question. I wasn't sure it was far enough along to bloom
inside. The weather folks are guaranteeing about six hours of below
freezing weather tonight. Low enough and long enough to damage most
everything out in the patch. I know a bud fully emerged and/or showing
color at least half way out of a spathe will go ahead and open in a
container of water. But I don't know about those showing just the tip of
the bud with color. Will those open if brought in? I've got lots of things
with naked buds and I may cut a few and bring in, but I seldom cut stalks
and there are a couple of seedlings and I'd like to see, more or less, what
they look like. Most everything will have to take their chances. Since
there's not going to be wind, I might try to cover a couple using feedsacks,
but I can't do that until the wind stops and I don't know how late that may
be.

Any advice on cutting would be welcome. And would CULT be the right tag for
this sort of question?

Donald Eaves
donald@eastland.net
Texas Zone 7b, USA