Hi Vic,
If the contractors made some "on the fly" subsitution
because the
nursery was out of versicolor aanything is possible. The
wetlands
planting was one of the last things they were doing as the
contract
ended.
Are there differences between the blue iris' in the
arrangement of
the leaves as they come out of the rhizome?
I ask
because I noticed that the Iris pseudacorus had their leaves
emerging
"fan-like" from the water so if you were to take a cross
section it would
be long and narrow (similar to the garden bearded
iris I have).
The
blue iris has leaves that are nested in a somewhat cupped way
towards the
bottom so the cross section would be more circular -
approaching
"scallion-like" more than fan-like.
Unfortunately I didn't take a photo
of the blue iris blooms. It
seems, from the web pages I looked at, that
the Iris giganticaerulea
blooms look different enough from versicolor to
distinguish them.
(Is that correct?)
I'm encouraged by your reports
of tall versicolor (though still
confused by the lack of a mid vein) so I
hope that's what it is. The
Giganticaerulea looks beautiful and would be
great in a private
garden, but it's not native anywhere on the East Coast
so it's not
the best choice for an open Maryland
waterway.
-Helen
--- In iris-species@yahoogroups.com,
<vwak@...> wrote:
>
> Helen,
>
>
>
> I have Iris 'Contraband Girl' growing in my garden and yes under
favorable conditions it will get as tall as you describe. I also
have
other clones of Iris virginica that get as tall as or taller
than
'Contraband Girl.' However, when I feel the leaves of
I. 'Contraband Girl'
between my thumb and fingers and every other I.
virginica that I have had
experience with, I always detect a central
ridge area. It is much more
pronounced on some clones but I don't
ever remember not feeling it. Is
their any possibility that they
could have substituted one of the
Louisiana Iris species (e.g., I.
giganticaerulea), as I have seen
some Louisiana type wild clones that
will get pretty tall? If so, you
would not feel a central ridge on
their leaves. However, I.
giganticaerulea blooms are not usually way
down in the leaves as you
describe.
>
>
>
> Vic
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
>
From: hldlily<mailto:hdeclercq@...>
> To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-
species@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Friday, June 20, 2008 10:53 PM
> Subject: [iris-species]
Virginica "Contraband Girl" was Re:
Distinguishing Pseudacorus from
Versicolor?
>
>
>
> 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<mailto:iris-species%
40yahoogroups.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%
40yahoogroups.com><mailto:iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-
species%40yahoogroups.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><mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com>,
>
vwak@ wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > -----
Original Message -----
> > > From:
Vwak@<mailto:Vwak@
> > > To:
> iris-species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:iris-species%
40yahoogroupscom><mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com><mail\
>
to:iris-
> > species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:species%
40yahoogroups.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><mailto:iris-species%40yahoogroups.com><mail\
>
to:iris-
> > species@yahoogroups.com<mailto:species%
40yahoogroups.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><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.
> > > > >
> > > >
> >
>
>
>
>
