Re: Iris sp. identification

Kenneth
You have keen eyes. Standards are present hanging down on the first picture. 
I believe all subsequent pictures are variations on the same blooms shown in 
the first picture. First, the flower with broken standards in the first 
picture looks like our typical Versicolor. The second flower with curved 
standards looks to be a non typical flower with a double set of styles since 
two sets of tufted styles are present on the same bloom at two positions. 
This is confusing.

However, there are additional traits which favor a versicolor ID. First, 
falls in the pictures are elongate with the typical versicolor "dogs tongue" 
shape. In setosa, the fall tends to be very slender on the inner haft with 
abruptly flaring almost circular outer fall. Second, the signal area 
pictured is very high contrast with distinct pattern and signal edge. In 
setosa, the signal area is often larger and more diffuse than versicolor 
with less contrast. In many setosas the signal area appears to merge onto 
the fall, oft times with continuation of the vein pattern, more continuity 
than versicolor. Further, spent blooms on Versicolor corkscrew quite 
distinctly as seen in the picture. Finally, ageing / stressed versicolor 
falls tend to roll up lengthwise as seen in the pictures. Setosa, as I 
recall, tends to tuck the fall under the bloom.

One additional comment I would make is that setosas need either re-seeding 
or transplanting here as they do not persist well left in place. Their 
ability to colonize an area is much weaker than versicolor, particularly in 
competition with other plants.
For what its worth.

irisman646 - greg.davis


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Kenneth Walker" <kenww@astound.net>
To: <iris-species@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Saturday, November 15, 2008 11:41 AM
Subject: Re: [iris-species] Iris sp. identification


> Ken,
>
> You make a good point about a "wild" iris not necessarily being native.
>
> However, despite the lack of standards on most of the flowers, there are
> standards in some of the pictures, indicating that the plants are not I.
> setosa. The middle flower in the first photo shows one standard hanging
> down, nearly falling off the flower. Photo 5 & 6 show a bloom with two
> relatively large standards. In fact the standards seem a bit large for
> I. versicolor, and are curving in instead of out. Something seems to be
> eating standards. Some of the falls show munching along the edges.
>
> In photos 5 & 6, you can also see a perianth tube on both the foreground
> bloom and a spent bloom in the background. Aren't the tubes rather large
> for I. versicolor? Or is it within the species' variation?
>
> Ken
>
> Ken Walkup wrote:
>> Yuri & all,
>>     This location is within 5 miles of my home.  Greg is right that
>> versicolor is the only naturally occurring iris which this could
>> possibly be, but I'm not totally sure.  It looks like it could be a
>> setosa.  The person who posted this has a Cornell University email
>> address; so do I and I'll try to ID the sender & get more info.  And,
>> possibly recruit a new SIGNA member.
>>     A few years back, I was walking my dog within a half mile of home,
>> and saw a siberian iris seedling growing out of a roadside drainage
>> ditch.  Just because it wasn't "planted" does not mean it's native.
>>     Ken
>>
>>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
> 


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