Re: Louisiana swamps

From: "Patrick O'Connor" <swamp@ix.netcom.com>

Speaking of Louisana swamps and the LA species, I collected an iris
recently that fascinates me.  There is a spot between New Orleans and Baton
Rouge where the exit from the interstate loops around briefly through a
cypress swamp.  It is not a heavily used exchange, and feeds only to the
west and  a bridge over the Mississippi a couple of miles away.  To the
east is all swamp and no road.   The swamp there is full of I.
giganticearulea.  Almost all are typical tall blue with the exception of a
couple of clumps that are very clearly pink.  I spotted the pinks with
binoculars, except for one colony about 75 feet from the road and clearly
visible.

I have been watching these irises for two years now as I drive back and
forth to work (I comute about 3 days a week), and have been plotting how I
could rent or borrow a canoe or pirogue and get in there to take a sample.
This year, that whole swamp has dried and I was able, with some
trepidation, to walk in and dig a few.  (It was nervous trip, watching for
alligators and fearful that I would sink in muck.  In fact, it was like
walking on a trampoline, suspended above the muck only by plant roots.  I
am Arkansas native and not comfortable with traversing swampland).  

My question is about the likely origin of the pink irises among the blue
giganticaeruleas.  I could be a natural hybrid, the result, perhaps, of
crosses with the red I. fulva.  I saw no fulva in the area but there well
could be some, or there might have been some in the past, even if not now.
 The couple of clumps of pinks I spotted were several hundred yards apart.
Could they be a mutation of giganticaeruleas?  Or is natural hybrid more
likely?  They are not first generation hybrids, because the result of I.
giganticaerulea X I. fulva is a tall wine colored iris.  These are medium
pink, although appear to be giganticaeruleas in form.  Maybe I will self
them when they bloom in the garden and see what I get.

Some years ago, I selfed the collected iris PINK JOY ROBERTS, which is a
soft pink of I. brevicaulis form.  From that cross, I got all blues very
typical of brevicaulis.  I am inclined to think that PJR is a chance
variation rather than a hybrid.
At 07:30 PM 8/12/98 -0400, you wrote:
>From: <RMTURLEY@aol.com>
>
>Patrick and Bill,
>
>Louisiana Iris will grow all summer if you grow them in rich media with a
good
>deal of OM and maintain high moisture.  I have some growing and they are in a
>wet, OM media.  Don't let them set seed pods either unless you are breeding.
>This drains the rhizome especially under moisture stress.  Light feeding will
>also help keep them green.  They will make big rhizomes and healthy foligage.
>No rust or leaf spot.  Enjoying you Louisana iris discussions.
>
>Robert Turley
>Lake Charles, LA 
>
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