Re: schachii or suaveolens

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Rodney,

I grow both species, but not for long enough or in enough different forms to give an "expert" opinion. And judging from a photo is hard because of not being able to judge scale well. Checking all the various references, it is difficult to find any single character that is decisive. My Iris schachtii is quite small, not even SDB size, so it is not always the IB-like multi-branched plant you see in some photos. Here are a few pointers from my own observations, that may help.

1. The flower form in your photo looks strongly like I. suaveolens to me - that severe tuck or recurve to the falls is a frequent feature of this species. The flowers on I. schachtii remind me more of a historic IB or TB.

2. I've not seen an I. suaveolens with more than one bud per stem, or an I. schachtii with fewer than two. The botanical descriptions say both these things are possible, but I would regard bud count as a strong indicator.

3. I. schachtii gives the impression of having a distinct stem bearing the flowers aloft; I. suaveolens gives an impression more like Iris pumila, with blooms appearing to spring straight out of the ground.

4. falcate foliage on I. suaveolens, often very fine and narrow.

5. Bloom time: I. suaveolens is earlier, blooming with MDBs and SDBs; I. schachtii usually blooms with the IBs or later here.

Regards, Tom