Re: Iris crocea

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There is a belief that I. monnieri could be a natural hybrid between I. orientatlis and I. xanthospuria. I have not tried to verify the claim that many seedlings of I. monnieri look like I. orientalis. It might be interesting to repeat that cross artificially to see what happens. While I could make the cross using I. orientalis grown from SIGNA 10SP061 (which looks to be a second generation out of Turkey), I have limited space and am already a bit overrun by clones of both I. crocea and I. sogdiana. If someone wants to participate in such an experiment by planting seeds, I'll hand-pollinate the plants and see if seeds result.

Ken

 

I've had I. monnieri for about 20 yrs too. I got mine from The Iris Gallery.  A couple of years ago I decided to study up on the spuria species, and my monnieri seemed to fit the descriptions of crocea better than those of monnieri.  I've tried to grow crocea from seed from the exchange a couple of times and I finally bloomed crocea from 12SP393 and it looks like orentalis. Anyway just trying to sort out what I really have. Let us know what you think when yours blooms.

Rod

On Tuesday, May 5, 2020, 9:28:25 AM CDT, Kenneth Walker k*@astound.net [iris-species] i*@yahoogroups.com wrote:

 

Rod,

I have been growing I. monnieri for 20 years. The clump is starting to exceed its allocated space again. However, I'm not sure if any of the buds will mature in time to compare it to an I. crocea bloom. We'll have to wait and see. I also have a garden variety of I. crocea; I don't recall where I bought it, but I think I've been growing it as long as the I. monnieri. Its buds are also a ways from blooming. That would also be an interesting comparison.

Ken

On 5/5/2020 6:42 AM, Rodney Barton r*@yahoo.com [iris-species] wrote:

 

Ken,

Do you have I. monnieri to compare to them?

Rod

On Monday, May 4, 2020, 3:20:58 PM CDT, Kenneth Walker k*@astound.net [iris-species] i*@yahoogroups.com wrote:

 

I was curious to put a bloom of a collected form of Iris xanthospuria next to the collected form of Iris crocea. A photo is attached. The I. xanthospuria is from Köyceğiz, Turkey. Both fit their species descriptions. The blade of the fall of I. crocea is "oblong, tapered, crimped at the margins". I. xanthospuria has smaller blooms and the falls have a rather rounded blade.

This bloom of I. crocea is a purer, less orange, yellow than the clones of I. xanthospuria I have. A bloom on another clone if I. crocea is showing color and I think it will be close to that of the first.

Ken

On 5/4/2020 9:53 AM, Mark Cook h*@gmail.com [iris-species] wrote:

 

Ken,

That sure is pretty.  That is a pure yellow.

Mark A. Cook

On 5/3/2020 8:26 PM, Kenneth Walker k*@astound.net [iris-species] wrote:

Hi,

My first Iris crocea grown from seeds out of Kashmir has bloomed. I took a couple photos at different times today and have attached them. I got lots of seeds to sprout, but have had to wait 5 1/2 years before I've managed to get blooms. Two more plants have buds and lots more are still just growing leaves. They seem to tolerate my native clay soil or 5 gal pots, but really like lots of good deep potting soil.

Ken

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Posted by: Mark Cook h*@gmail.com

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