Hi All
Once the yellow iris were removed I've had some time to ponder and Vic's
points have been sinking in. I really don't see how the blue iris
planted by the contracors can be versicolor. Those is standing water
are taller than me. (I'm 5'5".) Their flowers were much lower than
their taller leaves reaching only about midway in height, if even.
Those in the nearby ground didn't grow as tall. The plants in the
standing water are very vigorous having grown to this height after being
planted out as peat pots last spring 2007.
As noted in earlier posts the leaves were without prominent veining.
(On close insepection there was numerous, ~15 veins, but no dominant
veins.) They were also thinner than pseudacorus (3/4" vs. 1") and a bit
bluer.
Assuming the contractors made a substitution, the only blue iris I could
find that reaches heights of 6' was the Iris Virginica selection
"Contaband Girl". Does anyone here grow that? If so can you tell me if
your plants are consistent with my observations. If not, any ideas?
It's no emergency now - I'm just curious. :)
-Helen
--- In iris-species@yahoogroups.com, <vwak@...> wrote:
>
>
> Hi Helen,
>
>
>
> If the flowers are yellow definitely yank the plants out. In my
experience pseudacorus usually has a more prominent midrib than
versicolor; however, now much more prominent does it have to be to make
an ID? If one feels the leaves between their thumb and fingers, the
midrib on pseudacorus, virginica, and versicolor usually become evident
without actually looking at the leaf. I should add that many wild
virginica populations that I am familiar with in the southeast are
flushed with purple at the base. All of these iris species are variable
in nature and undoubtedly there are many ecotypes that have evolved
responding to different environmental pressures. I suspect that
pseudocorus will grow as well or maybe even better in the Mid-Atlantic
than in the warmer areas along the Gulf coast. It has been my experience
that in areas where it gets little winter chilling it blooms sparsely
even though it grows robustly. Also, be aware that pseudacorus will
readily reseeded itself in some areas. Even if the plants are not
versicolor and the flowers are not yellow, it probably is an iris worth
growing.
>
>
>
> I wish you much success in replanting the watershed.
>
>
>
> Vic
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: hldlily<mailto:hdeclercq@...
> To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-species@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Wednesday, May 21, 2008 1:06 AM
> Subject: Fw: [iris-species] Re: Distinguishing Pseudacorus from
Versicolor?
>
>
> Hi Vic,
> Both are in bloom now, one yellow and the other blue. The original
> plans had only Iris versicolor and pseudocorus on them along with
> other native plants such as pickerelweed. They were then supposed to
> substitute Cardinal Flower and additional iris versicolor for the
> pseudocorus. Obviously that didnt' happen with 100% accuracy so I
> can't be really sure of anything!
>
> One poster mentioned that their versicolor has a few prominent veins
> and that they were less sharpley pronounced than in pseudocorus. On
> the web I've found mention of its foliage being ribbed yet on other
> sites from close-up photos no veins were obvious.
>
> Is Versicolor a variable species in the wild? Also how much
> difference is there between cultivars?
>
> Whatever blue iris we have down there it is tall (some of it leaves
> reach 5'), with flower stalks significantly lower than the leaves,
> with smooth foliage that is somewhat narrower (3/4" vs 1") and
> slightly darker bluer green than the pseudacorus leaves. It may be a
> mystery but the smooth foliage has the advantage of making it easily
> distinguishable from the pseudocorus. (When I say smooth I mean no
> prominent veins. All veins are the same size and quite small,
> visible only on close inspection, with about 15 of them running
> closely spaced next to each other up the strap.)
>
> The Mid-Atlantic has fairly mild growing conditions so I imagine the
> pseudocorus would grow pretty well here - though probably not as well
> as in Florida!
>
> -Helen
>
> --- In
iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com>,
vwak@ wrote:
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Vwak@<mailto:Vwak@
> > To:
iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com><mail\
to:iris-
> species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:species%40yahoogroups.com>>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 8:49 PM
> > Subject: Re: [iris-species] Re: Distinguishing Pseudacorus from
> Versicolor?
> >
> >
> > Helen,
> >
> >
> >
> > I have been reading the postings of how to distinguish I.
> pseudacorus, I. virginica, and I. versicolor with much interest.
> >
> >
> >
> > First, I agree that pseudacorus should be removed from the
> habitat. In my part of the world (SE US) it can take over and crowd
> out desirable native wetland plants, including native irises.
> >
> >
> >
> > If one is familiar with the above mentioned irises one can tell
> most pseudacorus by looks and size. It usually is taller than the
> other species.
> >
> >
> >
> > I am very dubious about distinguishing virginica by the cauline
> leaves frequently overtopping the flowers. I grow some virginica
> clones originally collected from the wild where the norm is for the
> flowers to be above the leaves. I have seen wild populations where
> that is the norm.
> >
> >
> >
> > Even though versicolor is not native to the lower south, I grow
> some clones originally from further north. Helen's statement that
> the versicolor leaves in the area under question are perfectly
> smooth, i.e., they have no center ridge surprised me. In far as I
> can recall, I have always seen a center ridge on all pseudacorus,
> virginica, and versicolor clones that I have looked at. I
> immediately went out in my garden and the versicolor in my garden all
> had center ridges.
> >
> >
> >
> > Is it possible that some other species of iris has been planted?
> >
> >
> >
> > Vic
> >
> >
> >
> > Victor W. Lambou
> >
> > Crawfordville Florida
> >
> > Zone 8B
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: hldlily<mailto:hdeclercq@
> > To:
iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com><mail\
to:iris-
> species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:species%40yahoogroups.com>>
> > Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008 3:51 PM
> > Subject: [iris-species] Re: Distinguishing Pseudacorus from
> Versicolor?
> >
> >
> > Hi Kenneth and James,
> >
> > I went down to the stream and since versicolor is also in bloom I
> was
> > able to identify the plants and compare their foliage. Sure
> enough,
> > the pseudacorus has a nice sharp ridge down the center that is
> easily
> > seen and felt while the versicolor we have is totally smooth.
> Even a
> > lay person like myself couldn't mistake them - now that, thanks
> to
> > the species-iris group, I know what to look for.
> >
> > The watershed director is very happy that we won't have to pull
> > everything up. Besides the painful thought of losing hundreds of
> blue
> > iris we would have had a freshly denuded landscape, a landscape
> just
> > recovering from all the construction work last year.
> >
> > Thanks so much for your help!
> >
> > -Helen
> >
> > --- In
iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com><mail\
to:iris-species%
> 40yahoogroups.com>, Kenneth Walker <kenww@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Helen,
> > >
> > > Looking at several varieties of each species in my garden,
> > pseudacorus
> > > does have a prominent ridge in the center of the leaf composed
> of a
> > > single vein. Versicolor has a less prominent ridge composed of
> 3
> > veins.
> > > I'd suggest someone compare leaves from a sample of plants in
> the
> > > wetland to see if they can be divided into two categories. Each
> > > volunteer could be armed with a sample leaf from each species
> when
> > > identifying the pseudacorus for eradication.
> > >
> > > Ken Walker
> > >
> > > James Harrison PhD wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Pseudacorus has a sharp vein in the middle of each leaf. Some
> > other
> > > > iris have a less prominent vein, like JI, but I think this is
> > the
> > > > easy way to pick out Pseudacorus.
> > > >
> > >
> >
>
