Chuck, et al,
I've been following this diversifying theme and find the various
points of view interesting. I will preface this by saying I am a
non-award oriented hybridizer. In my eyes, awards are merely a tool
to get people involved. Some people need the physical reward to
fuel their work and many gardeners do enjoy showing their plants.Â
Fine. Not really my thing, but I understand the purpose that
should be herein embodied.
I was very taken with the cultivar Dolce and considered ordering it
from the States, but things were getting too expensive. So be it,
but the actual cultivar is for my eyes a species-X, simply as it
doesn't fit into any of the other classes, unless you want it to be
forgotten! Although it has aphylla only as a grandparent
(grandchild of the species! It is still the species, even if a
selection, which, quite frankly, all introed plants are. Species or
hybrid. No need to denegrate its parentage.), the plant clearly
shows many species-like qualities. It is really a gardenable plant,
rather than a complex hybrid of questionable garden worth. As such,
it shouldn't be awarded in the same class as TB/MBI/SDB hybrids.Â
That's like judging a raw coffee bean against a cappuncino. Not to
be compared, yet one is dependant on the other.
As far a limiting where species-X starts and stops, I think we would
then be argumenting against the spirit of such a class. It is a
niche. Many primitive hybrids will fall well within this class,
even though it will be like judging apples against oranges. (is
this tooo many metaphors?)Â Maybe we need a species-X pogon,
species-X apogon split? The two groups are really like seperate
genera and from the hybridizing point have diverged quite
differently from the original species. Pogon iris are simply better
represented and have a much more robust hybridising history. Under
the apogon species, we do have awards for relatively primitive
hybrids, as they have not yet been taken as far. If I was to choose
between the two groups, I would find that the pogon iris are more in
need of a species-X category than their beardless relatives. We do
tend to see the apogons through different eyes, as well. We
treasure their simpler shapes, gracefull contenence and sharper
colouring. Things that have been largely lost in the complex
beardies. Their required judging criteria are much more open to
fantasy than the pogons.
just my 5 pennies (the cent sign has long disappeared from German
keyboards! the rest is inflation)
Ciao,
Jamie V.
Cologne
Am 25.11.2010 20:35, schrieb Chuck Chapman:
The definition of the class may need a bit of work.ÂÂ Here is
the registration data for Dolce
DOLCE
(Paul Black, R. 2002) Sdlg. I290C. SPEC-X, 34" (86 cm), EM
S.
and style arms pastel pink; F. pinkish ivory, narrow pale pink
band;
beards medium tangerine; small-flowered; slight spicy fragrance.
F175BB: (Northern Jewel x 91196A: (8864B: ((Navy Waves x Bride's
Halo)
x sib) x C. Palmer aphylla sdlg.)) X B194C: (Abridged Version x
91135D:
((Centerfold x Wings of Dreams) x Birthday Gift)). Mid-America
2003. HM
2005, AM 2007, Ran-P 2009.
In this cross you have aphylla as a grandparent, and even then
it is a selected seedling. So great grandchild of a species. I
would think there is some argument for excluding this sort of
cultivar from SPEC-X.
Perhaps next revision of AIS rules will adress this concern. But
the people voting this class did have their say.
But there is the possibility that the people voting only class
only had this example od SPEC-X in their garden
Perhaps Judges voting for a class should have enough experience,
growing and viewing, so when they vote for best of class, are
choosing between at least two elegiable cultivars. Not voting
for the only one they are familar with. This should be for all
top awards, as far as I'm concerned
Chuyck Chapman
-----Original Message-----
From: Sean A. Zera z*@umich.edu
To: iris-species i*@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Wed, Nov 24, 2010 2:59 pm
Subject: RE: [iris-species] Re: SPEC-X
Â
I, too, have never paid much attention to AIS
because of the apparent
focus on bearded hybrids, but after a bit of reading
up, the whole
system seems pretty strange. Correct me if I'm wrong,
but:
There are 15 classifications that receive medals, plus
the Dykes
medal. Of these, eight are restricted to beardeds and
another two
allow beardeds, so fully 2/3 of the categories can be
won by beardeds.
Three medals are awarded in the TB category, so of the
18 medals
awarded annually, 3/4 can and do go to beardeds.
The highest award, the Dykes, though open to all
classes, is in
practice awarded only to beardeds and almost
exclusively to Tall
Beardeds, which is downright insulting to everyone
else, unless I'm
missing something here.
Certain arilbred hybrids could potentially be entered
as TB, AB or
SPEC-X, and stand a chance to win the Dykes, while
hybrids in entire
other subgenera can only be entered in SPEC-X and will
never win Dykes.
The SPEC-X classification is the only one open to
anyone hybridizing
Chinensis, Ensatae, Foetidissimae, Laevigatae (except
JI),
Longipetalae, Nepalensis, Prismaticae, Ruthenicae,
Syriacae,
Tenuifoliae, Tripetalae, Unguiculares, Vernae,
cresteds, reticulatas,
xiphiums, junos, Belamcanda, Pardanthopsis, wide
crosses and whatever
else I've missed. Yet 'Dolce', which for all intents
and purposes
appears to be a TB, wins. I understand the
overwhelming focus of AIS
on beardeds as an artifact of the history of iris
hybridizing, but it
would seem that the organization has little interest
in changing this.
My take on SPEC-X, as the classes stand now, would be
to voluntarily
restrict it to wide crosses (except between two
bearded groups) and
beardless hybrids that don't fit an existing
classification. Wild-type
bearded hybrids, as unlikely as they appear to be to
win existing
bearded classes, at least qualify for them. Entering
beardeds into the
only category many beardless can enter, being judged
by an
organization that prefers beardeds, unfairly reduces
the already
limited chances of a new and different hybrid winning.
Sean Z
Michigan
--
Jamie V.
_______________________
KÃln (Cologne)
Germany
Zone 8
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