African iris - again
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: African iris - again
- From: R* B* <r*@admingw.hsc.unt.edu>
- Date: Fri, 28 Feb 1997 10:14:26 -0700 (MST)
Harry asks:
> Have now definitely identified the flower as "dietes vegata" and
have two growing in my beds.
AKA Dietes iridioides which is the proper name according to Clive
Innes in *The World of Iridaceae*
> Is it really an iris?
No, but a cousin, an irid, (a member of the iris family but not the
iris genus)
> Does anyone know if it is found in colors other than white?
Dietes bicolor is yellow with a brown spot but the flower form is
different, less iris like also good in the South in other words not
very hardy. Innes also lists D. flava as being yellow but bicolor is
common.
and Rick replied:
> Morea Bicolor but later .... it is also called Dietes Vegeta.
Dietes is correct. There has been a lot of confusion in the
classification of irids. Dietes is now considered correct. Dietes
are rhizomatous, *Moreas* are cormus. (To add to the confusion there
are various spellings of *Morea*. *Moraea* is correct according to
what I've read.
> M. Glaucopis,
Moraea aristata according to Innes.
>M. Pavonia
Definitely and Moraea and Nice!
> M. iridioides
Dietes iridioides
> and varieties of the aforementioned
There are actually hundreds of species of Moraea, with many different
colors and flower forms. Most are tender. There is a wonderful
monograph on Morea by Peter Goldbaltt, *The Moraeas of South Africa*
(or something like that).
> BTW, SIGNA has seeds of a number of Moreas and perhaps you
still have time to order.
My Dietes bicolor (this year's) are germinating!
Rodney Barton
rbarton@hsc.unt.edu
Hickory Creek, (North Central) Texas, USA
Zone 7/8, typical temp range 15 - 105 F (-9 - 41 C)
AIS, SIGNA, SPCNI, SLI, FWIS, Iris-L
North American Native Iris Web Page:
http://molly.hsc.unt.edu/~rbarton/Iris/NANI.html
