Re:Iris versicolor in Florida
- To: Multiple recipients of list <i*@rt66.com>
- Subject: Re:Iris versicolor in Florida
- From: B* S* <b*@tiger.hsc.edu>
- Date: Thu, 29 Jan 1998 07:18:22 -0700 (MST)
>On Wed, 28 Jan 1998, Bill Shear wrote:
>
>> I checked the native iris page and it does not show versicolor south of
>> Virginia. The supposed Florida record would be worth checking out as a very
>> considerable range extension.
>>
>> I. virginica, however, does occur in Florida. Maybe there's some confusion.
>> Bill Shear
>
>The problem is that there's 2 species of I virginica. One of them
>is I virginica var shrevei which is natural in a more northern area
>than I virginica var virginica and is one the parents of the
>original I versicolor. The native area for I vers and I vvs are
>nearly the same, whereas the native area for I vvv includes just
>the states north of the Gulf of Mexica. I versicolor is not native
>to this area at all.
>
Right, but a variety is not a species. A variety is simply a recognizable
population within a species--supposedly not as different as a subspecies.
Plant taxonomists can propose varieties within subspecies within species.
Most modern plant taxonomists no longer recognize and name varieties. I.v.
virginica and I. v. shrevei cross with one another easily and in my
experience both are fertile with I. xrobusta (I. versicolor x I.
virginica). I have not tried either one with I. versicolor.
Let me clarify the original issue: Does I. versicolor occur in Florida?
Evidently not. If native populations of this species really exist in
Florida, it would be a notable discovery.
My suspicion is that the "versicolor" populations are misidentified I.
virginica.
>
>URL for the North American Native Irises web page
>http://molly.hsc.unt.edu/~rbarton/Iris/NANI.html
Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>
