Iris Madonna

---

Hi all,

Is anyone out there growing I. x albicans 'Madonna'?  I have never been able to find a start of it.  I did have the I. x albicans sport that produced chimeras of violet and white, but I lost it in 2007 to deer, and have been unable to replace it since (I loved that thing - it is so cute).  My start of the chimera came from Neal Mogensen.  I have lots of I. x albicans (I suspect I have two distinct clones, but I'm not sure); however, it has never obliged me with blue sports of my own.  I would love to find a start of these.

----------------------------------

As an aside, 'Kochii' seems to me to be a purple I. x albicans.  Nobody, to my knowledge, has ever pointed out the obvious (to me) morphological and behavioral similiarities between I. x albicans and 'Kochii', though both have been associated by chromosome count with I. x germanica (2n=20+24).  I suspect they have the same original species parentage, and suspect it is somewhat different parentage from I. x germanica (perhaps DNA work will one day sort this out?).  I crossed I. x albicans and 'Kochii' this year and got several nice fat pods on both (thought any resulting seedlings might be interesting), but the pods were knocked off by battling tom cats (so maybe I'll try again next year).  It is the first time I've seen good full pots on either one, and that might indicate a close relationship too.

As a further aside, 'Golden Bow' is very like I. x albicans (has anyone noticed this?), but it is yellow.  Is there any more detailed record of the parentage than what shows in the AIS registry?.  I have hoped that more detailed records are recorded somewhere by the Sass family for their crosses?  If species were used to create 'Golden Bow', it ?might? shed some light on the original parentage of I. x albicans.  As a group, I. x albicans, 'Madonna', 'Kochii', and 'Golden Bow' stand out from everything else I've ever grown.  Plus, they look good planted together (at least the three I have do).

After years of observation and consideration, I'm guessing (emphasis on guessing) that these might all be the result of a 40 chromosome member of the I. lutescens clan crossed with unreduced gametes from I. pallida pallida or I. pallida illyrica, while I suspect that most (all?) I. x germanica clones come from an I. lutescens clan member crossed with an northeast Mediterranean or near eastern TB tetraploid of the I. trojana / macedonica group.

I meant to just ask about who might be growing the 'Madonna' and albicans chimera plants, but the tangent seemed like it might be fun to tack on.  I could go on (and on) with it, but I won't now.

Thanks, and best wishes to all.

Dave Ferguson

in Albuquerque