Describing iris

The Cornell Extension Bulletin 112 (published in 1925 and reprinted through
the efforts of HIPS) talks about the use of official AIS data cards to
describe iris.  On pp. 24-25, the bulletin lists all the data-card terms and
associates each term with a common iris variety in which that particular
character is strikingly apparent.  For example, *Increase* (which they
define as the "rate of increase from a single division" can be described as
either *Slow* or *Rapid*.  The variety associated with Slow is FAIRY and
with Rapid is MRS. H. DARWIN.

I'd like to describe the iris in my garden using such a system.  Is this
data card still used to describe iris, and if so, has it been updated in the
years since the Bulletin was published?  Also, has anyone associated the
names of new varieties with the identifying terms?  I'd like to be able to
look at photographs in my recent catalogs, or even iris blooming in my
garden, and know for sure that I'm seeing a striking example of *Crumpled*
surface texture in standards.   ZUA is the variety associated with Crumpled
in the Bulletin.  It's hard for me to relate to that.

I love the idea of being able to use a standard color chip to identify
colors, even if it does only supply a number.  I view the linking of flower
colors to a standardized color as a useful addition to descriptive
information, not a substitute for verbal description.   As Marte suggests,
descriptions like "Falls are a particularly vibrant lavender with just the
merest flush of pink surrounding the blue-brushed beard"... are fun.  They
also evoke a "feel" for the overall image and aesthetic impact of a flower,
which can be very helpful in identification.  So I vote for both color
charts and words.

I'm not familiar with the Pantone color system.  I do know the Munsell color
system, though, which deals with color, hue, and shade in very small
increments.  It's commonly used in art conservation to describe such things
as the condition of an art work,  the effect on color of various treatments,
or the degree of change caused by light damage.  If we ever decided to apply
Munsell to iris description we would probably all be considered by "others"
to be obsessive/compulsives of the first order.

Merrily in D.C. on Capitol Hill, where the temp. in my back yard got down to
28 degrees F. last night.  Coldest yet, but no snow so far.
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