The Iris Family gives only four pages of text to Iris, since it's covering 60+ genera. Taxonomy is discussed down to subgenus level only. It's an overview and revision of the family at genus level; probably more of interest to the botanically inclined and too technical for beginners. There are fabulous color photos, with an obvious bias towards South African genera. I would recommend it for those really interested in the entire family.
Sean Z
On Thu, Jun 6, 2013 at 9:00 AM, <C*@aol.com> wrote:
Speaking of books, has anyone read--or read in--Goldbaltt and Manning, The Iris Family: Natural History and Classification?
I have not seen it in person so would be ordering blind on this one. There are those who will order anything Timber Press publishes sight unseen, but I am not one of them.
I'm wondering what proportion of the book relates to the Genus as distinct from the Family, for instance, and how the authors deal with the Sections which have tended to receive short shrift in other works. You know the ones I mean.
Cordially,
AMW
-----Original Message-----
From: Kenneth Walker <k*@astound.net>
To: iris-species <i*@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wed, Jun 5, 2013 10:52 pm
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Recommended Ref
Köhlein's book was the first one I found. The index is very messy and he uses Rodionenko's systematics which was never widely adopted in the west; both facts make the book more difficult to use. Still, I found it quite helpful for obtaining info on particular iris in my early years of exploring species at the U.C. Botanical Garden and starting my own collection. At that time, I was really keen on seeing photographs (the web was still young) and the book contains quite a few.
It took me a while to start appreciating Mathew's book. It's photos are not as appealing as Köhlein's and it can be a bit terse. In time I came to appreciate it as a good source of botanists' understanding of the genus in the early 1980's. It does contain cultivation information for a fair number of species (at least for a British climate).
But I have to admit that none of the references are exactly what I'd like as a grower of species iris. What range of climates does a species naturally grow in: winter temperatures, summer temperatures, patterns of precipitation? What is the natural range of soil types and wetness/dryness? But even nicer would experiences of people growing a species through a full life cycle in various climates. It would also be helpful to know what species/climate combinations difficult to impossible. It's not always possible to guess where a species will grow from its native range; I was quite surprised to find that Iris setosa, which naturally grows only in the far north, does rather well in a dryish Zone 9 as long as it has damp feet and a light shade in the afternoon. On the other hand, my climate seems plausible for Oncocylcus species yet my success is not very great despite experimenting with different growing conditions.
I'm not volunteering to edit such a book, at least not any time soon; I'm behind on other obligations. But I can fantasize...
Ken Walker
On 6/5/2013 10:23 AM, C*@aol.com wrote:
So far as I am aware, the "new" edition of A Guide to Species Irises is actually a re-issue with a new introduction but without the color illustrations. I have not seen it.
I have no problems with the several books which have been mentioned here, with the exception of the Kohlein, which I never recommend to novices. It was as a novice that I discovered it, and I experienced no end of frustration trying to make any sense of it.
I do not know Dr. Waddick's book, personally.
The rest of the titles mentioned, I consider the basic book bibliography on the subject, along with the various AIS publications, and some quasi-peripheral materials, like Mathew's book on Turkish plants, and the various regional Floras, and botanical or horticultural encyclopedias.
However, and this, of course, was the point of my previous quip, all of these are getting a bit long in the tooth, and some were notably weak in certain areas to begin with.
In the case of Mathew's The Iris, for instance, which is the survey I do recommend, I find the author skirts some material without comment about which I would have much welcomed informed comment, and tends to go vague just when I am looking to him for important detail. His treatment of the germanica complex is most disappionting. I often wonder if the bearded European species would be viewed in a different light among fanciers of Iris species had they not been the progenitors of the flamboyant garden hybrids.
Still, Mathew's book is what there is, and with it's faults better than some.
Of course, exciting new scientific discoveries and developments such as those which interest us, and those which don't, tend to appear in the advanced academic or scientific press, or in the literature of taxonomy, or proceedings of international symposia, which too often are not made available to the general public. We may or may not hear of this sort of thing, unfortunately. When we do, it's often along the tlines that someone has moved I. tuberosa back into the genus.
We have need of a more recent book on the Genus--or Family-- written for the advanced non-professional---or non-specialist, if you prefer. Whether this is likely to appear, given the cynical publishing climate of today, who knows.
if the original poster could kindly tell us a bit more about what is wanted and to what purpose, I'm sure others would have some interesting and helpful observations. Me, I find the most interesting material to read these days is actually the primary materials. It never does to neglect to check Dykes on a subject.
Cordially,
AMW
-----Original Message-----
From: pat toolan p*@hotmail.com
To: Iris Species i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, Jun 5, 2013 12:09 pm
Subject: RE: [iris-species] Recommended Ref
I second all that Ken has recommended. There is a new edition of: A Guide to Species Irises, Edited by The Species Group of the British Iris Society 1997. The original was a costly book at the time but has been well worth it. Another book which I used when I first got hooked was T he World of Iridaceae by Clive Innes 1985. One big negative factor in this last book is that you will need to pencil in the Genera at the top of each page if you don't want to pull all your hair out. As to quick requirements, before the first book mentioned above, I photocopied a page from a SIGNA(?) typed sheet pages 63/64 which was a brief guide to the growing of many types of iris species. Too long ago to know when this was but possibly the late 80s or early 90s. I have kept this page in the Innes book since.
Pat
Pat Toolan
PO Box 568,
Angaston
SA 5353
08 85 648 286
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
From: k*@astound.net
Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2013 13:41:48 -0700
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Recommended Ref
In terms of printed books, I like
A Guide to Species Irises, Edited by The Species Group of the British Iris Society 1997
I frequently compare it's info to entries in
The Iris, by Brian Mathew, 1989 (reprint with revisions)
and for specifically Chinese iris
Iris of China, by James W. Waddick and Zhao Yu-tang, 1992
For a continental perspective on growing numerous species, a good book is
Iris, by Fritz K öhlein, translation to English 1987
Even though some of the names have changed it is sometime nice to go back to Dykes. There is a reduced-size reprint
The Genus Iris, by William Rickatson Dykes, 1974
For a quick reference to species and named varieties, try
S.I.G.N.A. Species Group of North America Checklist of Iris
Ken Walker
Concord, CA USA
On 6/4/2013 12:17 PM, Bill Moyles wrote:
Is there a recommended ref(s) to the genus ... taxonomy and
descriptive/distribution/etc .... online or? Thanks ... I think I may
be missing a good one ! Bill Moyles, Oakland ....
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