Re: virginica in Canada

 

No it isn't.
There is a map somewhere of distribution of Virginica in Ontario and a plant survey of species located in Ontario. It is very clear that only location of virginica is on Point Pele, the southern most region of Ontario.  I examine  all native stands of iris in my area (southern Ontario) and have found many variation of versicolor. Some escaped stands of pseudacorus, including white from. Have found and registered a Robusta as "Cast Ashore". But have never seen virginica. Hope to get down to Point Pele some time to see  plants there.

Beautiful stands of  lacustris on  Bruce peninsula area. Where they grow, they can be in huge masses. Seldom form seed but can be found if  you search carefully.

Tony Huber has travelled extensively through Ontario and Quebec surveying and collecting versicolor, and published several scientific papers on his findings. He has found many colonies of Robusta, but no virginica.

He has several forms of collected versicolours  and offers seeds to SIGNA  seed exchange

He hasn't seen virginica outside Point Pele area.

Virginica grows well in my garden, so you would expect it to be able to grow in wild, but it doesn't.  Perhaps it is just too tasty for iris borers.

Chuck Chapman



-----Original Message-----
From: Sean A. Zera <zera@umich.edu>
To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Sun, Jun 20, 2010 8:47 am
Subject: [iris-species] virginica in Canada

 
So is this range map from the Flora of North America not accurate for Ontario?

http://www.efloras.org/object_page.aspx?object_id=8776&flora_id=1

It shows virginica occuring north to the Bruce Peninsula and east
along the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario to Ottawa.

The type locality for Ãrobusta (northern Michigan) also lacks virginica.

Sean Z

Quoting irischapman@aim.com:

> The only known location of Iris virginica in Canada is Point Pele,
> in Southern Ontario. Quite a few zones warmer then Winnipeg
> Manitoba.
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> Several clumps of Iris x robusta have been located in more northern
> regions of Ontario, but without any coresponding colonies of Iris
> virginica. (personal communication , Tony Huber)
>
> I have found several versicolors in wild with wide leaves, and
> quite a variation in flower and bud count. One of the best is a
> versicor collected in Nova Scotia. It wasn't in bloom at time I
> collected it, and because of width of leaves I had at first glance
> had thought it was a pseudacorous.
>
> Chuck Chapman
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Kenneth Walker <kenww@astound.net>
> To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
> Sent: Sun, Jun 20, 2010 12:13 am
> Subject: Re: [iris-species] Spuria?
>
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> The leaves seem very wide. Could it be I. virginica rather than I.versicolor?
>
> Ken Walker
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> El Hutchison wrote:
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> My friend sent a picture of the iristhey have growing in their bush.
> It looks like I versicolor to me,although it's not a great photo.
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> El
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