Re: HYB: inheritance of LIGHT rims?

Just a little bit of trivia here.  I. variegata is one of my favorites, and
I've been studying what I can about it.  I'm starting to build up a
collection of the species, but in general they aren't too easy to come by
in this country.

The pattern of light standards with dark patterned falls as it occurs in
Iris variegata is indeed usually seen with the yellow standards, falls with
dark (true "plicata" type?) stitching over a white to yellow background,
often with a pale rim, sometimes paler around the beard.  However, there
are examples where the yellow of the standards and falls' background is
replaced by white or bluish/purple pigment.  The dark patterning of the
falls can be reduced all the way to nothing or can be increased in density
to solid dark color.  The terms "amoena" and "neglecta" also derive from
Iris variegata, or at least very old hybrids very near to the true species.

A lot of the MTB's seem very close to being merely selections of I.
variegata and a selection of these can show well what is possible in the
wild species also.  Some of the prettiest have nearly solid dark falls with
strongly contrasting pale rims.

So, the basic pattern and coloring of Iris such as 'Wabash' could (???)
come largely from I. variegata.  However, I've never researched the
ancestory of 'Wabash' nor much of anything that is tetraploid; I have
assumed that Wabash owes a lot of it's coloration to I. variegata, as it
looks very much like some of the diploid amoenas and variegatas, but
somebody else will know the true answer better than I.

I aslo wonder if some the dwarf species could be involved in the light rim
pattern.  Was any dwarf with dark signals on the falls ever pulled into the
ancestry of these?

By the way, the light rimmed Iris with dark falls that contrast with pale
standards are one of the few groups of modern cultivars which really
appeals to me and I've been collecting then lately too.  I particularly
like it when the rim matches the standards.  They've progressed a long ways
from I. variegata, or even from 'Wabash' (I still reall like 'Wabash' too).

I hinted at something else up at the top of this message.  I. variegata
often has yellow standards over white falls, sometimes bluish over white.
Get rid of the dark pattern on the falls and you have a pretty good reverse
amoena.  Is this where the reverse pattern of dark standards over light
falls started too?  If not, it seems it might be a place to look for genes
to get a true white on falls under colored standards?????

Always more questions.  Hope mine don't just sound mostly dumb!


Dave

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