Re: TB: Unidentified apparent diploid

 Neil Mogensen  z 6b/za near Asheville, NC said:

<I tried selfing the clone and got no takes.>

I tried putting whatever pollen I had on it, also no takes, but last
year was dismal for pollen that even looked viable.

<The plant  character and foliage color is almost pure variegata, just
stretched
                      upward.>

Not all that similar in growth habit here to either of the variegata
clones I grow (BEARDSLEY & the other one I can't remember right now).
Bloomstalks on the unknown are much taller (2 to 3 X).  And blooms well
after variegata.  Leaf texture is also different, I think - seems like
the variegata clones have somewhat ribbed foliage, thinner, more
spreading. But I'm not sure of that.

<There's a fair amount of yellow in with the blue-violet in
                       the standards--more grey than blue in effect.>

Yep, definitely makes me think grey - it's garden name here is <The
Confederate Iris> - gray standards with gold epaulets/beards &
pokeweed-stained britches.

<With the thin
                       substance, plant character and such it appears to
be pure variegata-
                       pallida hybrid in origin.>

Definitely nothing like what passes for pallida in this area - our
pallida is a hugely robust plant, doesn't bloom as well in the shade,
has a different flower form, is one of the earliest to bloom, and isn't
as much of a 'ditch' iris like the unknown is.  Somewhat more similar in
growth habit to HONORABILE than to either the variegata clones or my
pallida.

<There's no suggestion of tetraploid
                       chracter.>

Certainly no suggestion of modern TB tetraploid, but I do wonder if it
might be one of the oddball species with a different chromosome number
from pallida or variegata.  My only reason for wondering is that in all
the years it has grown here, I've never seen a pod, intentional or
otherwise, plus it is such a late bloomer compared to most TBs.

<It also seems immune to everything--no borer, no rots.
                       Slow increase where I have it (too much shade).>

It is a slow increaser here also, and doesn't enjoy being transplanted -
sulks a year or so at my garden.  It can rot if it is abused badly
enough - I lost some in a shallow pot that I was holding over till I got
around to putting them in the ground.  I think it requires a more steady
water supply than it gets in my gravel pile garden, at least until it
gets some deep roots.  It was persisting well halfway in the shallow
drainage ditch by the side of the main road amongst the weeds and
bushes.

Sure Neil, we can swap.  Shall we wait till normal digging season this
time <g>?  I sent a start of this to Mike Lowe several years ago but
don't know whether or not it lived or if he ever had any wild guesses as
to what it might be.  Seems like I've sent starts to a few others on the
list, but can't remember who at the moment.

Dana, do you grow this also?

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8



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