Re: SPEC-X

 

Hi all,

Any official definition of SPEC-X will be in the Judges Handbook, which I don't have. I looked to see what was in back SIGNAs. The best long definition I found was this from #59 page 3096, fall 97 from a article on Judging Species. (This was shortly after the SIGNA medals were approved but before any were awarded. ):

SPEC-X is the class for inter-species crosses. These hybrids have a mix of species traits creating a new plant. Any cross involving an iris species as one of the parents and another plant not of that species is a species cross. Also included in SPEC-X are further hybrids from interspecies crosses. All of the above crosses are included in the SPEC-X class. Even when a specific class exists for an interspecies cross, the hybridizer may elect to register his/her iris as SPEC-X if he/she feels it is more "species-like" and not representative of the definition of the specific class.

So Ken is correct and it's important to note that it's the hybridizer that decides in which class an iris is registered.  There is also a detailed discussion in #65 p3348, Fall 2000 (after the first medals were awarded) by Bob Pries. (Bob was instrumental in getting the awards established.) His short definition is: "SPEC-X refers to a plant with more than one species in it's background". As Ken correctly states, it was intentionally vague and would include most of the irises from the major classes except species and JIs.

There has already been controversy that some of the winners were too far removed from species. The thinking was that hybridizers were hedging their bets by registering their irises as SPEC-X if the form wasn't modern enough to cut it in the other class that they would fit.

Rodney
 

From: "ChatOWhitehall@aol.com" <ChatOWhitehall@aol.com>
To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sunday, January 12, 2014 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: [iris-species] SPEC-X

 
Yes, that is more or less the general drift of what I imperfectly recall as well. But I thought it might be useful to know the wording of the official definition. Is someone able to offer a citation, please?
 
AMW 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth Walker <kenww@astound.net>
To: iris-species <iris-species@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Fri, Jan 10, 2014 10:56 am
Subject: Re: [iris-species] SPEC-X

 
As I recall, those who worked to create the category (I don't remember exactly who now) intended it to be a broad category for hybrid iris that did not fit well into other categories. This includes those that might be placed in another category but did not meet modern expectations despite being judged worthy of introduction by the hybridizer.

Ken

On 1/9/2014 8:18 PM, Sean Zera wrote:
 
I'm curious to know that as well. Various AIS sources seem to indicate that it covers any iris hybrid, technically encompassing all the other AIS classes except Species (and Japanese, since they're one species). I was unable to quickly figure out whether there is one official name for the class outside the abbreviation SPEC-X. It is referred to as Species Hybrid, Interspecies and Inter-species on the AIS website. It is not mentioned at all on the Classifications page there. Interspecies is used on AIS ballots. The AIS wiki mentions Species Cross and Species Hybrid.

Sean Z


On Thu, Jan 9, 2014 at 8:24 PM, <C*@aol.com> wrote:
 
Someone remind me, please: What is the official SIGNA definition of a SPEC-X?
AMW
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Dennis Kramb <d*@badbear.com>
To: iris-species <i*@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Thu, Jan 9, 2014 11:41 am
Subject: [iris-species] SPEC-X

 
I added a new section to the SIGNA web page for Spec-X irises.  Please take a look & then let me know if you have any material you can contribute.  I need photos for the gallery. & names of other websites/nurseries that have good Spec-X related stuff (like Tomas Tamberg's site).  Also let me know if I made any mistakes in my explanation of Spec-Xes!

http://www.signa.org/index.pl?SpecX

It's all "under construction" so please excuse broken links & broken photos as you browse.

By the way, if you want to see an insanely cool new Spec-X check out this Cal-Sib on Cascadia Iris Garden's website.  I about fell out of my chair!  (The red one on the lower right.)  I hope they give me permission to use the photo on SIGNA.  :-)

http://www.cascadiairisgardens.com/laevigata.asp

Thanks,
Dennis in Cincinnati





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