REF: Checklists (was Descriptions-More!!!)
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: REF: Checklists (was Descriptions-More!!!)
- From: s*@aristotle.net (J. Michael, Celia or Ben Storey)
- Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1997 13:01:08 -0600 (MDT)
>>I have a question....what are the "check lists" that you refer to. How do I
>get them?
Gayla, Registration & Introductions of new irises are compiled by the AIS
every year into pamphlets which you can purchase through the AIS Storefront
in the quarterly AIS Bulletin. Every decade, the annual pamphlets are put
together into a decade book. These are available for decades beginning with
1939.
The lists include originator or collector who *registers* each cultivar,
which type iris it is, how tall the bloomstalk should grow and when in the
general season for that type plant it usually blooms, a description of the
bloom, immediate parentage, whether there's a fragrance (sometimes) and the
name of the commercial source that *introduced* it for sale.
The older checklists use cryptic codes instead of plain English to describe
blooms, but they make up for that by including fascinating little histories
of the hybridizers and commercial growers and amusing lists of common
misspellings of the plants' names. Newer books merely list hybrizers'
addresses, but the descriptions of flower appearance are clear and exact.
You can compile helpful flower descriptions from some good catalogs, but
for the definitive description, look to the R&I's.
The annual pamphlets for the '90s cost $6 apiece and are available for each
year through 1996. Decade books cost $10 each for decades from '39 to '69,
inclusive. The book for '79 costs $17; '89 costs $15. A complete set of all
the checklists would cost $124. Price includes shipping.
That's quite a financial investment. Some local iris clubs purchase copies
for their members' use.
Because there is no unified database available, when I see people on IRIS-L
responding to long requests for listing information, I'm awed by how
generous they are with their time. It takes a while to thumb through those
separate volumes to find an individual plant, let alone whole lists. They
do it out of the goodness of their hearts.
People like John I. Jones and Howard Hughes, who are trying to provide
electronic checklists, deserve all our thanks and praise.
celia
storey@aristotle.net
Little Rock
