Re: HIST:Swerti vs. Swertii, Or SWEERTII

In a message dated 3/1/05 9:44:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, neilm@charter.net 
writes:

<<  On p. 524 of the *Alphabetical Iris Check List...1939* is the entry for
 SWERTI, with the notation "(Coll. -Figured in 1612") followed by an entry
 "Swert's Florilegium 1612" then a number of subsequent references.
 
 Since we've been discussing "Swertii" I thought I might post a note that we
 haven't been using the right form of the name (Thanks, Rick and Roger!).
 
 Unpacking the cryptic data, I assume the entries beginning with "Swert's" 
have
 to do with where and when the clone is published, with the earliest notation
 in the "Florilegium" --a book of flowers, judging by the name, with the
 "Swert" accounting for the origin of the variety's name.  "Figured" suggests
 an illustration.>>
-----------------------

This was a recurring idee fixe in HIPS for some time circa 1990 when several 
people, notably Dave Silverberg, pooled their mental resources and sorted out 
an unknown circulating as Mme. Sherti. The name correction that was suggested 
was 'actually 'Sweertii.'

In the course of the sorting, in which Dave, relying heavily on Cornell 
Memoir 100 by Austin W.W. Sand (which anyone here can purchase in reprint from 
Dorothy Stiefel at one of those modest prices for which HIPS is justly famous) 
figured out that the unknown in question was likely that known to the 1939 Check 
List as 'Swerti.' This small plicata with pinched falls has several 
distinguishing features, indeed, as Mike Lowe has said from time to time, you can see a 
real good picture of it masquerading as 'Mme. Chereau' in 'The World of 
Irises'. It is unlikely anyone would mistake the two in the flesh since they 1) 
don't look alike and 2) 'Swerti' is a lot shorter.  

Anyway, in the course of the ongoing discussions, the preponderance of which 
made it into ROOTS, Dr. Art Tucker, whom I have had occasion to mention 
recently, a distinguished research professor at Delaware State University and a 
collector of antique plants of several genera, observed that the preferred form of 
the name under the Code of Nomenclature would be 'Sweertii'. That is with two 
E's and two I's, this because Sweert, about whom more in a moment, 
"consistently spelled his name with two e's" (Roots, Vol. 3, Issue 2, Fall 1990, p.17.) 

The only pronunciation I have ever heard anyone, including Art, use for this 
Iris is SWUR-tee. In passing I will note that when the Median Iris Society's 
committee to reclassify older TBs as MTBs condsidered 'Swerti', it did not so 
reclassify it. 

In private conversation with me at a plant symposium at Monticello several 
years ago Art said he was becoming warm to the idea that this was a form of I. 
aphylla, which should be interesting to the initial poster, and possibly to 
students of plicatas generally.

Now, with regard to the 1939 Alphabetical Iris Check List entry for this 
plant: We are informed that it is a midseason blooming white ground plicata 
feathered in pink to red tones, which probably means the markings are violet toned 
rather than a clear blue, which would be the only other option offerred by the 
simple color chart, or it conceivably could be a simple typo. There are a few 
known typos in this book. The 'midseason' in the entry means midway through 
the whole Iris season, not just through the TB season.

The entry states that this is a collected iris, and was figured--that is 
pictured--in something published in 1612, which is then identified as Swert's 
Florilegium 1612, thus. Note that Emanuel Sweerts' name is spelled with one E in 
the fuller entry which means Ethel Peckham had reason to believe that was the 
preferred form. Collected means brought into cultivation from the wild. 

In passing I will mention that I just pulled my Dover facsimile of this 
Florilegium, which is allegedly complete, off the shelf and looked at the Iris 
plates and I don't see anything that immediately announces itself as 'Swerti,' 
although I do have a cold today and so am probably a little dull and 
unimaginative.  

I will also mention that I have in past seen a plate from one of the great 
flower books in which something identified as 'Iris aphylla' was represented as 
a plicata much resembling 'Swerti,' althought I cannot at this moment recall 
which book--Pries, are you there? The question of whether 'Swerti' is, or is 
not, or might be, or once was, a form of *Iris aphylla* may arise from this 
plate. I don't grow either and have not compared them. 
 
Anyway, the other entries in the Check List recount some of the history of 
the publication of this name--remember the Check Lists are really lists of 
names-- which includes: the catalog of nurseryman William Prince of Long Island in 
1823; several European periodicals, all of which can be identified by looking 
up their abbreviations in the notes at the front of the book; Bertrand Farr's 
1912 catalog; Lee Bonnewitz' 1920 catalog--both these are famous Iris 
commercial sources of their day, etc. Then follows a list of synonyms for this same 
name. Synonyms are deemed illegitimate for one reason or another. Some appear to 
be botanical errors, some reflect the renaming of the plant to make it more 
modern or less foreign sounding, and one seems to be a muddle based on a 
pronunciation of 'Swerti' with a V sound for the W. 

The 1939 Check List is an amazing document. A reprint is available from the 
AIS Storefront. Copies of all the back issues of ROOTS are available from 
Dorothy. They make pretty good reading.

Cordially,

Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA

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