Re: naming irises

 

Perhaps I misunderstood the question. I think to some degree identification of cultivars is possible. I think there are several ways of going about this. One way I will mention because this is a species forum. In years past Floras of species generally included a dichotomous key. One chooses between a continuous set of dichotomies, until one is lead to an identification. Often these keys are hard to use, in that an inexperienced person may not understand the choices, for example is a leaf ensiform or linear. Scientifically each term is used with a bit more precision than is usually the case. So defining terminology is critical. But the other problem is recording enough data on a plant that one could begin to construct the key. Cultivars are often not as distinctive as we would like. Registered descriptions often have no distinguishing characteristics mentioned that would se! parate a cultivar from a dozen other cultivars. In some cases an old descriptions may have just said blue, without mentioning haft marks, beard color, and perhaps a dozen other traits we do not record even today.  Until cultivars can be given more rigorous descriptions the chance of identification seems very difficult.

From: "sdunkley1@bellsouth.net [iris-species]" <iris-species@yahoogroups.com>
To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2015 12:33:00 AM
Subject: Re: [iris-species] naming irises

 

I can't be sure my reasoning is in line with that of the well informed but I personally do not equate clone and cultivar even when the cultivar is clonal in the singular sense. I personally set up a conceptual separation that being clonal is simply a characteristic of some cultivars. It a characteristic so not conceptually of the same logical type (not meaning botanical type here!). Is there some tweaking I can do on this?

Bob, all the cautions and qualifications you speak of I can follow perfectly. Not to criticize what you've said in the least, it was very useful, but the question of how to identify or reestablish a cultivar in light of these sorts of things still remains to be answered. So I cast a broad net for ponders even if answers aren't at hand. What are the prospects for resolving these problems systematically and moving towards a methodology for identifying historic irises?,This problem can't be unapproachable on every front? If it is then our systematic! s has an broad area needing conceptual work it seems. If good examples exist on other plant groups fronts then I'd love to hear so I can explore. Or if we are exploring new territory then the iris world could help lay groundwork for others.

Shaub Dunkley




--
Bob Pries
Zone 7a
Roxboro, NC
(336)597-8805

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