Naming of Iris species

On Tues 6th Feb, Bob Pries wrote

        <snip>
>       I am curious as to whether you have the real species Iris attica.  I 
>am not sure it would be hardy in my zone 6 even if I could locate it. 
> I have gotten seed many times of Iris species such attica from the 
>AGS  and NARGS seed exchanges.  Sadly they always turn out to be Iris 
>sanguinea.  A Polish botanical garden offered seed of ruthenica which 
>again turned out to be Iris sanguinea.  My friend Jim Waddick 
>recieved seed marked Iris uniflora from China and it too turned out 
>to be Iris sanguinea.  Jim tells me he has written to several 
>plantsman whom he sent the seed and have been listing it in their 
>catalogs as uniflora but they continue listing it even though as for 
>as we know their is no uniflora in the USA. I am still looking for a 
>number of species but I am beginning to lack confidence in seed.
        <snip>

A very interesting question.


This really opens a can of worms.  A botanist friend of mine asserts that
about fifty percent of plants in cultivation are botanically misnamed.
Putting aside the  question as to what constitutes correct naming, I think
he exaggerates somewhat.  Nevertheless, it is true that misnaming is rife
amongst some genera, reaching epidemic proportions amongst some (e.g.
Echinops).  I wouldn't say that Irises from trade sources are that bad, but
a lot of misnamed seed - I'm talking about species & varieties - does seem
to reach the exchanges.  I keep an open mind on seed from such sources until
I see the flowers.

Concerning the species you asked about, I am pretty confident in the naming
of I. ruthenica nana, as it was grown from a seed collection made in China
by Roy Lancaster.  (Also, I. cycloglossa was grown from seed taken from
hand-pollinated plants grown from the original Wendelbo, Hedge & Ekberg
collection).  However, I don't know about I. attica.  I got it from a
nurseryman who seemed to know what he was talking about.  Certainly, it
isn't I. sanguinea, or any of the other sibirica types - the leaves are very
different.  I look forward to seeing the flowers !

I don't honestly know anything about I. uniflora, other than that some
authorities regard it as synonymous with I. ruthenica.  I notice that RBG
Edinburgh has four separate accessions of this plant, including one of the
dwarf v. caricina.  At least one nursery here in the UK offers this variety,
but my experience, as I said, is zero.  I'm always happy to exchange seed if
I have any, but don't hold your breath for these new acquisitions - it may
be a long wait!

Ian
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