Re: Cult I. Minutaurea
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re: Cult I. Minutaurea
- From: B* S* <B*@hsc.edu>
- Date: Fri, 20 Feb 1998 07:18:01 -0700 (MST)
John--I have Iris minutoaurea (correct spelling) from two sources. Neither
selection has ever bloomed for me, though the earlier-purchased one is now
a vigorous clump about 4" in diameter. Maybe this year.
Brian Mathew states that a clone of a small Acorus species was sold in
Britain as I. m. for a number of years. It rarely if ever bloomed, so the
imposture was not often discovered. I called Siskyou Rare Plants, my
source, and they claimed what they supplied was the true gen and had
bloomed abundantly for them.
The BIS species book calls it "surprisingly difficult to grow, at least in
Britain", and states that it is unknown in the wild, only from cultivation,
but on the previous page gives the distribution as "probably China or
Korea."
Jim Waddick, however, in IRISES OF CHINA pictures a nice blooming clump and
says it grows easily in Missouri. He recommends good drainage and a
clay-base soil. I do not recall if he found it in the wild in China or not.
I am finding a few things in the BIS species book that are not consistant
with previous reports or what I know to be the facts. I suggest using this
book with some caution.
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
