Re: missouriensis interspecies hybrids?

Dear Bill,
 
I grew up and spent 2/3 of my life in *Iris missouriensis* country.  I have walked slowly through wild populations in Baker County, OR, and Payette County, ID, in seasonally wet pasturelands that are not too different as habitat from what you are moving to in Sun River.  The altitude in the Baker area is around 3000 ft., and close to 2000 in the Payette, ID, area.
 
I did move a clump with its gone-wild bluegrass companion plant dirt and all undisturbed to my home garden at that time some 7 or 8 miles away at an elevation of 2200 feet, zone 6 USDA, sandy loess of great depth and low fertility other than lots of lime.  *Iris missouriensis* seems quite diverse in its appetites but does not like either drought or disturbance.  After several attempts that failed, one clone did survive, bloom and continue in the garden as I gradually and slowly separated it from its very aggressive bluegrass companion.  I never harvested seed from it.
 
The diversity of color in those wild populations close to 300 miles east of your future home is probably typical of all wild *missouriensis* populations.  Colors ranged from almost white to bicolored clones with darker falls, to pale violets, occasionally with fairly dark (by contrast) medium violet falls.  The form of all *missouriensis* requires an appetite for the minimal.  There isn't much to it, either in blossom expanse or in duration, with the species' very delicate substance. 
 
There are monographs--or I should say, I know for sure of one such--on the species coming from the work of a researcher at Bozeman, Montana, but for the moment I do not recall the name.  Metcalf?  H. Metcalf--something on that order. H for Homer? probably.  The study included range, chromosome counts (which vary over a substantial range, incidentally, suggesting polyploidy) color and form variations, habitats and such.  Where this or similar studies might be found I have no idea.  The range extends at high elevations nearly to or possibly beyond the Mexican border to the south, and northward possibly into the more favorable lowland climates of western Canada, probably in no other provinces than British Columbia, but I have very little knowledge of the outline of the habitats. I only know from personal experience that great clouds of seasonal pastel color cover vast acreages of what was meant to be farm pastureland in the Intermountain West.
 
I know of no inter-species hybrids.  Since the collapse of the various political barriers that separate large areas of similar habitat there may be possible hybrids that could be made between some asiatic beardless species and this one.  Robert Pries, on this list, may be able to steer you to someone who knows, and so might James Waddick who is in the midwest.
 
I admire your interest in the species.  I hope it persists.  *Iris missouriensis* is not only not well loved, it is positively hated by those attempting to establish and maintain pastureland in an otherwise very uncooperative climate.  The species is considered a noxious weed and is frequently sprayed with herbicides.
 
I, too, found few seeds in the wild, even when I had located colonies near my home.  The pods formed, but matured unexpectedly and somewhat unpredicatbly.
 
Another source of information, and a person who, I believe, grows clones of the species, is Christy Hensler.  Her posts to Iris talk or Iris photos will give you her e-mail and URL addresses, as may also the links provided by the American Iris Society.  I cannot easily offer these as I am currently operating with very limited vision--a temporary condition soon to be corrected.
 
I wish you well.
 
Neil Mogensen  now in zone 7, western NC mountains

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