Thank you. El. I do find it all interesting, you know, the people and such.
Absolutely fascinating!
I have come to the conclusion that so much information about
garden irises--and here I do include the Iris species, yes-- comes to
us in oversimplified form. The botanists oversimplify their
way, typically leaving out any social history and what might be learned
from it, not to mention very useful, if often anecdotal, information about
collection and commercial activity, while the iris history crowd
has erected a pantheon of greats, irises and folks, which it celebrates
reverently, but this pantheon is too far limited and parochial.
We don't need heroes, we need insights, and information, and the people who have
been involved in these scientific and horticultural pursuits matter.
Back when I was working on my book on the Rev. C. S. Harrison, who was an
early promoter of garden Irises in the US midwest, and a totally amazing
fellow, almost as cool as Max, I suddenly felt like someone
had thrown open a window in a stuffy drawing room in which sat
people each telling the other the same three boring stories, over and over,
and let the smell of the earth in. I've got a big project in the works
on the horticultural history of Iris persica, with particular
attention to the American south. Been working on it for years. And that
really will be an interesting story!
AMW
-----Original
Message-----
From: Eleanor Hutchison <eleanore@mymts.net>
To:
iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Tue, Jan 11, 2011 11:48 am
Subject: Re:
[iris-species] Prairie Iris Article
You always have such interesting stories,
Anner.
My one and only clump of I lactea marks the
entrance into my bog garden, where it looks daintily pretty, whether in flower
or not.
El, Ste Anne, Manitoba, Canada Z3
From: C*@aol.com
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 9:59 AM
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Prairie Iris Article
Yes, I agree with Eleanor. Issuing corrections is perfectly
respectable, regardless of what sort of error one considers one has made. Max
Leichtlin insisted upon publishing a detailed one in--as I recall-- The
Gardeners' Chronicle about what he sent out as Iris Bornmuelleri. Sir
Michael Foster wrote of the situation in his book on bulbous irises:
"a little yellow Iris growing in the South of Cilicia, imperfect specimens
of which many years ago the accomplished traveller and botanist, Mrs. Danford,
sent to Mr. Baker. This he described as I. DanfordiÃ. Quite recently Dr.
BornmÃller rediscovered the same plant in another region of Asia Minor, namely
Amasia, and Mr. Max Leichtlin happily obtaining a supply, distributed it under
the name I. BornmÃlleri, given by Haussknecht. Though the plants
collected by BornmÃller vary somewhat, and Baker's description, being founded on
imperfect specimens, was not complete, there can, I think, be little doubt that
we are dealing here with the same species, and the earlier name DanfordiÃ
should therefore be used. "
As for I. lactea, well, if there is any one other little Iris species
which has caused so much name shuffling and problems in the literature, I am not
aware of it. Iris lactea, ensata, biglumis, pallassii-- and those just
off the top of my head. I don't wonder that people
get turned around. I have grown it, of course, and it is pleasant
enough, but, in the immortal words of Saki speaking of the Balkans, it
always tends to produce more bother than it can consume locally.
Happy New Year to you, Jim.
-----Original
Message-----
From: Eleanor Hutchison <e*@mymts.net>
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent:
Tue, Jan 11, 2011 10:25 am
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Prairie Iris
Article
Morning Jim and all.
It took me a few minutes to recall which magazine
article you're talking about. I do now remember reading that about lactea
in your article. You could always get the editor to post one of those
corrections.
Interesting that you mentioned lactea though, as
just yesterday I was trying to figure out what crosses with it. I got an
OP seed pod off mine this past fall, but I'm pretty sure there was only 1
bloom stalk this year. Perhaps it crossed with itself.
El, Ste Anne, MB Z3
From: g*@sasktel.net
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2011 1:27 AM
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iris-species] Prairie Iris Article
To all of you who may have read my article I hope you can forgive me for
mistakenly putting Iris lactea in the Spuria group. I misread a
description of this Iris which lead to such a result. I was hoping someone
would take some editing license with the article.
Jim in Saskatoon
