HIST: Re:Swedish irisproblem

From: <HIPSource@aol.com>

Hello, Maj.

What a wonderful great lot of information you sent along on your iris! I will
look at it all and do some research in my own books and see if I have any
worthwhile thoughts for you. Now you must watch your plant and see if it makes
a seed pod. It may not since it may not be fertile at all, and the bloom may
not get fertilized, and it may not set seeds if the weather has been wet. But
if it does set a pod you must save it and any seeds since this would be a
source of other interesting information, espcially if what you have is an Iris
species. You should also watch to see if your iris is deciduous this winter. 

I sent you to look at KOCHII for several reasons. First, I know that it was
for sale this year in Sweden so it may have been so in the past, too. Also I
am still thinking that your iris may be a "rebloomer". KOCHII does not
"rebloom", but KOCHII is very similar to CRIMSON KING, which is a reblooming
iris when it is happy, and I wondered if you have CRIMSON KING. We have
discussed this similarity here before. I include a small quotation, originally
posted by Mike Lowe, on thise two irises:

"While the general color [CRIMSON KING] is very similar to that of kochii,
it is not quite so distinct a self-color. The outer haft of CRIMSON KING is
more definitely veined and broader, its segments are more decidedly waved,
and the stalk is more widely branched. In kochii the segments are more
slender and graceful, while the whole of the flower is very similar to that
of ALBICANS. CRIMSON KING is undoubtly of germanica origin. CK has
persistent green foliage." [kochii tends to be deciduous-ML]"

You have asked about KOCHII and whether it is American. The answer is that
while it has been grown in American gardens for a long time--although it is
getting very rare now, which is unfortunate---it is not a native iris. We have
no native bearded irises as such. KOCHII--known botanically as I. kochii
(Kerner ex Staph)--is, or was, found around Trieste and there is some question
about whether it is a hybrid between the species Iris germanica and Iris
pallida subspecies cengialti. It is not very fertile. Neither is I.germanica.
To read more about Iris species you may wish to investigate two books, either
of which should be available in the libraries of universities or botanical
gardens.

A Guide to Species Irises: Their Identification and Cultivation, Edited by the
Species Iris Group of the British Iris Society, Cambridge University Press,
1996.

The Iris, by Brian Mathew, second edition Batsford, London, 1989

Your plant's branching and leaf color sounds less I. aphylla than before. You
must understand, Maj,  that I am not an expert on these matters but I am
curious about your iris and am now wondering if by some strange fortune you
have I. subbiflora--which would be very remarkable indeed!  This is a species
native to Spain and Portugal which some think is related to aphylla. In its
native habitat it grows on limestone mountains, and it appears to be variable
in its cold-tolerance. Traditionally it has been considered not very cold
tolerant, but Mathew apparently grows it well in southern England in well
drained soil and it has been suggested that plants grown from seed may be
hardier. It also appears to vary in size. The description in the BIS book
above says the leaves become 16-30 cm long, 1.5-2.5 cm wide, evergreen and
often taller than the stem. Other wise it is said to usually have one--some
say two--blossoms per stem which are often a deep rich blue-purple in
color--with a white beard. It can also rebloom--although I think this is
supposed to happen in the winter-- and it has been cultivated since the
seventeenth century and was sold by famous nurseries in Europe in the
nineteenth century. 

There is a photograph of I. subbiflora in a book which you may be able to find
in a  library since it is rather widely known and was originally published in
England and is very useful indeed. Here the book is called The Random House
Book of Perennials,  Volume I Early Perennials (1991) by Roger Phillips and
Martin Rix. In England it was published by Pan Books from Macmillan and the
title may be slightly different. A picture of I. subbiflora is on page 189. If
this looks anything like your iris please let me know privately and I will
give you some suggestions about what you might do next.  

Anner Whitehead 
HIPSource@aol.com   




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