A veritable frou frou of muddlement erupted thereafter in the horticultural press, involving Leichtlin and Baker and Sprenger with the later sorting things out neatly. I discovered this episode while documenting some of Max Leichtlin's contribution to Iris, and, as I have plans to write it up as a light short piece for SIGNA, I won't tell the story now. I will treat you to what I consider a choice morsel of Sprengleriana.
"I have received I. Saari true, but many plants that come under this name prove to be misnamed. [. . . .]. But as not only botanists study and name species of plants, but also gardeners, and perhaps also some limestone-burner of Jaffa, or some German schoolmaster living amongst the Turks, one cannot wonder that there arises great confusion."
Speaking of fun-raising, may we please give some thought to Jean Richter's offer to help with a bearded iris rhizome sale? As you may recall, I mentioned here that there was concern in some quarters that historic clones--things from the Randolph collection, for instance, or some collected forms which have been in trade, recently or otherwise--like Varner's remarkable listings--were either apparently lost, or on the verge of becoming so. I asked whether a rhizome sale might be feasible for SIGNA. Jean indicated she had useful experience along this line. My own notion was that such an event might be undertaken perhaps every three years, or more irregularly, as opportunity presented itself, and might be conducted entirely on the SIGNA webpage, with notices posted to this list. This list an official bulletin board for the Society, yes?
Much remains to be understood botanically about the bearded species, not solely from the standpoint of the history of hybridizing, but intrinsically, and it is well, I think, to try to keep some clones of documented provenance available for analysis--always assuming such plant material might actually survive, and might actually be donated to us for these purposes, and someone among the membership was actually interested enough in growing it on for preservation to pay for the opportunity, and the botanists might actually be willing to tear themselves away from looking at the sexy junos under high powered microscopes finally to consider adequately the pogons---which facts, I suggest, should not be assumed.
Happy New Year from Virginia.
Anner M. Whitehead
