This sounds great. I have a few
questions that members in this group can probably answer:
# 1 - is there a distance that one would
think was far enough away from another iris to be considered “in
isolation”? (I would think that different pollinators would move in
different patterns, distances, and directions depending on several factors
including weather variations. In this case with this exceptionally
rare iris, does one just assume that they need to have a pollination exclusion
bags over the unopened flowers and hand pollination needs to be done?)
# 2 - is it expected that these would be
self-fertile if only one plant was germinated by the packet of seed? (Of
course, it would be ideal if at least two plants were produced for more of
the genetic variability within the variety for future offspring and seed
viability. But is that good or bad to have more genetic variation when
there is a chosen variety that is close to being totally lost? I can
think of plusses and minuses.)
# 3 - is there an area in the world thought
to be most like the climatic conditions were these plants came from?
I have read the sources I can find on
Google and did not find this information. It does sound like these plants
are revered and might not be that rare in cultivation in this particular area
of Japan,
but the seed being available to us is rare.
Debbie Hinchey
Anchorage, AK
Where winter just arrived yesterday.
From: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
[mailto:iris-species@yahoogroups.com] On
Behalf Of Rodney Barton
Sent: Monday, October 31, 2011
6:51 PM
To: iris-species@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [iris-species] SIGNA Seed
Exchange Special 2011 Seed Auction
It is not often that
we have a unique situation involving a potentially extremely popular new seed
offer and a very limited number of seed.
Earlier this year the
Species Iris Group of the British Iris Society had an article by Mr Hiroshi
Shimizu of Japan
discussing and describing a new subspecies of
Iris sanguinea: I sanguinea tobataensis.
This is a totally new dwarf form of the species that has, since describing,
become extinct in the wild and exists only in a few spots in cultivation. You
can find more description and pictures on the www.
We wrote and received
a few seeds for the Seed exchange. This is a rare chance to acquire a new Iris
and possibly develop a new range of Siberian Iris hybrids. We have a
limited number of seed available - enough for only 3 packets of 10 'seeds' (not
all of them look equally plump).
We think this is an
opportunity to raise some extra money for SIGNA by auctioning these packet to
the highest bidders.
HERE'S HOW
THIS WORKS - Must be a current member of SIGNA:
If you want to bid on
one packet of seed (only one to a member) send a whole dollar amount (minimum bid $10)
to
<signaseedex@gmail.com> with
your name and email address clearly posted.
As bids come in, we
will notify you if you are one of the 3 top bidders or if your bid does not
reach the top three amounts.
Bids will be accepted
ONLY by email to the address given and all bids must be final by midnight,
Friday Nov 28,2011.
The winning bids can
pay by check to the SIGNA Seed Ex address or by PayPal. See the SIGNA web site
for details
Seeds will be sent by
Priority/AirMail at no added cost. Seeds are not guaranteed in any way
including germination.
If you have questions
write to: signaseedex@gmail.com
We strongly urge the
winners of these seeds to grow the plants in isolation and hand pollinate
flowers to produce a larger supply of seeds of this rare Siberian Iris,
hopefully with thoughts of donation to the SIGNA Seed Exchange in a few years.
Careful conservation by propagation will insure that this Iris survives in
cultivation without the dilution of hybridization.
Thanks for your
support of SIGNA and the Seed Exchange. Jim Murrain and Jim Waddick
--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871
NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas
City Missouri
64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +
