Re: SPEC setosa ques

Andrew Wheeler wrote:

>  I cannot personally answer the question about iris setosa living
> above treeline, but perhaps Tony Huber could.  I have no address for
> him since Ihave a minimum of convention brochures etc. with me here at
>  college, but I am sure that someone can look it up. 
I can also look it up. Thank you for that name.

> This question intrigues me, I have as many setosas as I can get my hands on.
> I would be interested in knowing what the limiting factor in the growth
> range is. Is it the air quality or the max/min temperature? Would a
> shorter canadensis variety be more or less sensitive to that kind of
> environment as compared to an Alaskan or Asian clone?  
It is interesting you ask those specific questions, because Duane Buell,
who is also on the list suggested that well-drained soils, such as you
find in high alpine, would be a strong limiting factor for a plant such
as setosa. He thought if the plant turned out to be setosa, and was not
growing on muskeg, with water on its roots fairly constantly, then that
plant had a special adaptation.
One of the most noticeable habitat-limiting factors for setosa in my
area seems to be water supply. They grow thickly in mud flat areas on
the coast where there is 1) no root competition from trees, 2) a fairly
constant water supply to the root zone, but 3) water doesn't stand on
the rhizome itself for any extended time. They exist in a fairly precise
band that is not constantly wet in the rhizome area, but has available
water in the root zone.
I have a question. Why do you collect setosas - for study? I notice
you're a college student. I'd like to know a lot more about the types
you have, where you got them, etc. Unfortunately, they are the only type
I can grow very well here, so I focus on them quite a bit. You can
e-mail me off-list if you're afraid it'd be too long. I'm really curious
about your chinese setosa. If you have a scanned pix, I'd like to see
what it looks like. I can't quite picture it from your description. You
said you were wondering if its traits were influenced by its growing at
high altitude - is that the normal habitat for this chinese setosa? And
would you know at what altitude? I didn't know setosas were known for
growing at altitude. For the environment to control its growth habits
for more than one generation, it would need to be a genetic
adaptaptation, I believe.
> I believe that there is a woman who also does a fair amount of versicolor,
> virginica and setosa collecting in Canada who may have some info, but I
> cannot remeber anything other than her first name is monique.
I think there is a Monique on this e-mail list, though am not certain.
Will check on that.
In another letter, Juri Pirogov asked if you had marbled setosa
described by Dr. Rodionenko from Kamchatka. You described an off-white
one that had a marbled "virus" type pattern. I don't understand what you
mean by "virus" pattern, but I have a pink setosa which has streaky
coloring, some years going so far as to create subtle "banding". Is this
what you and Juri are referring to? It doesn't look especially marbled,
more on the streaky side. 
Kathy Haggstrom
Anch, AK
Zone 3
hagg@alaska.net
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