Re: AIS: REF: AIS as International Registration Authority

Ahner Whitehead wrote:

 

How long will images actually be needed? Are you attempting to document every registered Iris cultivar into perpetuity? Practically speaking, how long do you anticipate most of these cultivars will remain in commerce? In mainstream gardens? In the crosshairs of Iris scholars?

 

The essence of the proposal I made was that there is some value to collecting images, That the job is so large that dividing it by specialized group makes it workable. Until the basic premise is accepted it seems premature to work on the details. Especially since there are at least a dozen co-operating societies and sections who would be involved. Although I seem to have opinions on most everything I would like to think that if the basic premise is accepted each group will find ways to carry it out. That means that as good ideas emerge in one group they can spread to another. Of course some groups will have trouble finding people to do this or be dysfunctional in one way or another. But if is an idea that has legs than at least some groups will be able to accomplish the task. My main emphasis is that the idea of collecting pictures near the time of registration become a widely accepted goal. If so it will make the task of those groups who are already proceeding along these lines much
 easier.

 

What is being done already? Presently I am working on an illustrated checklist of Spuria Irises. If there had been someone asking for photos of plants being registered it would have made this task much easier. As it is I am performing that role along with layout, editing etc. If all the pictures promised come through we will have 60-70% of all the registered cultivars pictured. I hope to have it available for the Spring convention. It will be evident the progress that has been made and perhaps suggest possibilities. It would be possible to produce supplements every few years to update the list. 

 

Another project is the Encyclopedia of Iris Species. A mammoth project that will have five volumes and perhaps 3000 pictures. If someone was collecting images of the current species and species cross introductions it would make this project that much easier.

 

I am chairman of the Median Iris Checklist committee. We intend to produce four illustrated checklists in the future, one for each class, MTB,etc. There are four recorder/archivists who have already volunteered to compile pictures of new registrations. 

 

The Louisiana Iris Society has compiled a CD with their checklist and images.

 

The Aril Society International has an illustrated checklist on line at their website. 

 

SIGNA has a website for illustrations of species. 

 

Gathering the data for all of these projects is more difficult because the system I am proposing is not yet in place. 

 

You ask what would I like to see. I guess it would be fantastic if every registration was photographed, from the beginning in perpetuity. But I am a realist and know that is possibly not reasonable, practical, or affordable. But I like to set my goals as high as possible and then see what reality makes of them. When it is decided in advance that something cant be done that decision is always proven correct. I would rather be wrong most of the time, you get a lot more done. Of course I know a number of my detractors who say how often I have been wrong, or that I am late, etc. But I am amazed at all I have seen come about.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index