Re: HYB: umbrata (longer)

--- In iris-photos@yahoogroups.com, Robt R Pries <rpries@s...> wrote:
"Paul Cook and Bee Warburton wrote several lengthy articles on the 
origination of the dominant Amoena genes in 'Progenitor' in the Old 
AIS Bulletins. The reichenbachia used was most likely not like this 
yellow plant for which there is still some question about its 
authenticity but more like the Red Purple form that I hope I can 
attach."

In TWOI, Chapter 4, written by Melba Hamblen and Keith Keppel, there 
is a section dealing with the Cook 'Progenitor' bicolors.  It does 
not mention the color of the "reichenbachii" used, but as I recall, 
Cook's intention in making the cross of a blue TB onto what he had 
received from Rex Pearce as seeds of *Iris mellita* but which Cook 
believed to be misidentified and referred to as *reichenbachii* was 
to incorporate flavones into blue iris breeding lines to get a truer 
blue.  My rather vague memory of a Cook article in the *Bulletin* 
around 1959 or 1960 may have mentioned the cv as being yellow.

The section of TWOI to which I refer begins on p. 113.  On p. 115 
there is an interesting comment worth noting: "It is possible that 
the inhibitor from the Balkan species would have eventually found its 
way into the gene pools of tall bearded irises, as it has in the 
balkana hybrids of Greenlee and Ghio, with a less dramatic impact 
than that of the Whole Cloth lines.  It is also possible that the 
flavones Cook was seeking are implicated in his irises...."

I believe I also recall speculation that the seeds from Pearce were 
of hybrid origin with *Iris mellita* (now known as *suaveolens*) as 
the pod parent (thus accounting for Pearce's identification of the 
seeds he sent Cook as such) with pollen from a clone of 
*reichenbachii.*  The clone of the latter may have been yellow, as 
may also have been the clone used by Cook in the cross 
yielding 'Progenitor.'  It should be noted that the latter has a 
certain amount of yellow pigment.  The color of the flower is 
anything but attractive, even appearing somewhat dull.  Only the 
genius of Paul Cook would have recognized the potential, perhaps.

*Iris mellita* (*suaveolens*) also appears in a registration of the 
cv 'Melamoena,' made in 1960 by Jack (John E.) Goett.  The 
description reads, "IB, 20"...S white; F light blue, veined. (New 
Snow x Chivalry) X Mellita Vande."  (*Iris Check List 1969,* p. 133)

It may be that the I(s) 'Progenitor' factor is scattered through 
several of the Balkan dwarfs, considering the three known sources 
appearing in the registry.  Bob Pries' comment that the factor may 
not affect the violet pigment(s) present in the *reichenbachii* of 
which he posted the photo reminds one of a similar comment made by 
various people about the same being true for the purple or violet 
pigment(s) of some *aphylla* clones.

Neil Mogensen   z  7  western NC mountains



------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> 
Make a clean sweep of pop-up ads. Yahoo! Companion Toolbar.
Now with Pop-Up Blocker. Get it for free!
http://us.click.yahoo.com/L5YrjA/eSIIAA/yQLSAA/2gGylB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~-> 

 
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
     http://groups.yahoo.com/group/iris-photos/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
     iris-photos-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
     http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index