Nice to hear about others interested in I. aphylla. Although I have only started working with it directly, I have a few hybrids involving it from Harald Mathes, which I am using in my aril program. Looks like I need to get ahold of 'Dolce' for some further work. I find the flower quite smart looking, as well as possibly being good for pinks in the aril-breds. Does anyone know of a source in Europe? Or for the yellow aphylla. I know Harald had one, as he used it in the plants I am growing, but additional clones would be an asset.
Also, as the season is right, does anyone have any seed of I. pumila to spare? I have two plants purchased as I. pumila, but neither go completely dormant in the Winter, so I have my doubts.
--
Jamie V.
____________ _________ __
Köln (Cologne)
Germany
Zone 8
i*@aim.com schrieb:
For the record I also am doing some breeding with aphylla, as well as
some crosses with pumila, including some pumilla X aphylla crosses
which should bloom next year.
Some very neat things comming out of aphylla h-17, or as it has been
registered Yellow Conundrum.
Lyn Markham has gotten some not-anthocyanin flowers first generation
from a purple aphylla, but it is rare.
Also some plicatas will show up in unexpectadly high ratios in second
generation
Chuck Chapman
Dear Bill: I am delighted to see another person interested in
hybridizing with species. Brad Kasparek also has a hybridizing program
involving aphylla as well as Stephanie Markham and Cindy Rust. The
Craigs have done some fantastic work but in my mind have not been
adequately recognized for all they have done.
If you are looking for immediate recognition this is not the path to
take. New ideas have been always been scorned by the establishment.
Years ago people discouraged ruffles and lace as deformities. Horned
Iris are still dismissed by some purist. Over a decade ago I campaigned
to created the category SPECX. Many still do not understand the goal of
this class is to encourage innovation. It also allows
every plant to
come into the awards system. I am constantly explaining that it
includes every hybrid iris and with the species Iris, all Iris fall
within these two categories, all other classes are refinements and have
narrower paradigms. Enough of my soapbox.
I hope to do some hybridizing with aphylla also. I have no goals that I
am trying to develop but just interested in experimenting to try to
understand the species and see what it may do. Like Cindy I intend to
do some crosses with Arils and also MDBs to groups that I have a great
fondness for.
If you are planning to use aphylla be aware that the species is quite
variable. The common purple-flowered forms, often carry dominant genes
for that color so that if you want to have a lot of color variation,
you must seek out the white or paler purple forms. Another problem I
have as a species advocate is that, when one uses a cultivar name
people assume the plant is no longer a species. Cultivar names are the
best way of distinguishing the different forms of a species but of
course they are also used for hybrids. It drives me nuts that many
species forms are disseminated under collection numbers like B-12
instead of a legitimate cultivar name. A registered cultivar names
provides an official reference to a description and other information
whereas the numbers and letters often get lost or transposed.
I hope you are toleran
t of my rants. I am working on a project for
SIGNA that will show how species are distributed throughout the
country. If you would like to take part I will send you a one page
survey.
The AIS registry shows: F175BB: (Northern Jewel x 91196A: (8864B:
((Navy Waves x Bride's Halo) x sib) x C. Palmer aphylla sdlg.)) X
B194C: (Abridged Version x 91135D: ((Centerfold x Wings of Dreams) x
Birthday Gift)). Mid-America 2003.
