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RE: Iris savannarum

 

Sean,

 

Thanks for the response.  The picture looks more like what I think of as I. hexagona as opposed to I. savannarum.

 

I noticed that the Flora of North America recognizes savannarum as a species, and that makes sense to me.  We have a hexagona from South Carolina that blooms with brevicaulis and is very different than what I have seen of savannarum.  I think that perhaps the more northerly East Coast irises are hexagonas and that savannarum occurs further south.

 

I do wonder, by what authority the Flora of North America separated savannarum?  Other authorities don’t recognize it.  How are such decisions made?  Scientific articles such as those by Arnold lump everything except brevicaulis, fulva and (maybe) nelsonii into the  hexagona bucket.  In Louisiana, we wonder about the relationship of I. giganticaerulea to the East Coast irises.  I understand that what constitutes a species follows manmade rules, but I can’t see that giganticaerulea is just a form of hexagona.  It may be closely related (or the same as) I. savannarum, however.  By the way, a few days ago, I visited a field about 20 miles from New Orleans that had so many giganticaeruleas you almost could not avoid stepping on them as you walked.  It is amazing to see them in such a mass.

 

The Flora does not recognize I. nelsonii as a species.  I thought it was settled that nelsonii was a species, so by what authority would the Flora demote it?  Nelsonii surely was derived from fulva, but the small niche it lives in would not be hospitable to fulvas.  Nelsoniis are found in more shade and constant water.  If a fulva were planted back in a swamp with nelsoniis, it would not survive.

 

I keep hoping some scientific research will straighten out the Series Hexagonae.   And that I will understand the report when it is published.

 

Patrick

 

From: iris-species@yahoogroups.com [mailto:iris-species@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2017 9:13 PM
To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Iris savannarum

 

 

Patrick, I collected an iris from Dixie County, Florida that had no sign of flower stalks the first week of April, clearly blooming much later than savannarum in its native habitat. Here in Michigan it bloomed the first week of July, two or three weeks later than other Hexagonae (except possibly brevicaulis).

 

I donated some seed to SIGNA (14LA050 hexagona var. hexagona), basing my ID on the description of hexagona in Flora of North America (which seperates savannarum as a species, rather than a variety). I'm curious to know if anyone successfully grew any. My parent plant was eaten by rodents during the polar vortex, but I have one seedling.

 

Photos of the plant in question:

 

Sean Z

Zone 6a

SE Michigan

 

 

 

On Wed, Mar 22, 2017 at 8:33 AM, 'Patrick O'Connor' p*@cox.net [iris-species] <i*@yahoogroups.com> wrote:

 

Mark,

 

Thanks for that information.  I should have also asked….what county are these irises in?

 

I am involved in the Society for Louisiana Irises Species Preservation Project, and we have an irises obtained from Brevard County that is about to bloom.  It is growing in a large pot and the pot is sitting in pool with 3-4 inches of water.  There is only one bloom stalk, but it is five feet tall.  The donor gave it as I. savannarum, but some people consider all the East Coast irises in the Series Hexagonae to be I. hexagona.  I feel that I. savannarum in fact is closely related to what we call I. giganticaerulea, and that there are other Florida natives that in fact are I. hexagona.  They do not grow five feet tall and do not bloom as early.  I. giganticaerulea will often reach five feet in its native habitat, and it is an early  bloomer.

 

In case you are interested in the Louisiana Iris Species Preservation Project, you can check it out here:  http://www.louisianairisgnois.com/SpeciesPreservation/

 

Patrick

 

From: i*@yahoogroups.com [mailto:i*@yahoogroups.com]
Sent: Tuesday, March 21, 2017 9:36 PM
To: i*@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Iris savannarum

 

 

Patrick,

     They are over four feet tall, not far from five.  But, they are growing right at the edge of an Alligator pond...   I had not been monitoring the clump, but I would estimate it has been blooming a good ten days.

Mark A. Cook 

 

On 3/21/2017 8:25 PM, 'Patrick O'Connor' p*@cox.net [iris-species] wrote:

Mark,

 

Two questions.  How tall would you say these irises are?  And, on approximately what date would you say the first bloom occurred?

 

Patrick

 

 

 

-- 
Mark A. Cook
USDA Zone 8b
Dunnellon, Florida USA

 

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