RE:HYB: Pallida

Chuck, I hope neither you nor Dave mind if I put in my own observations into
the mix.

The various *pallida*-type clones I've grown shared a number of
characteristics in common.  The foliage tended to be a different, healthier
looking green--there was a fine textured waxy exudate (I think) on the foliage
that made it look slightly bluer than the usual bearded iris foliage.  The
edges of the blades also seemed often to have a translucent rim, a very narrow
one, but something the *variegata* types lacked.  I never noticed any
indication of PBF.  In fact, I am fairly sure none was ever present.

The bloomstalk held its branching very close, and often slightly toed in
toward the stalk.  Branches were never long.  Sheaths were papery, dry and
crackled when handled.  The colors of bloom varied from a light violet-blue to
light blue, usually with falls that drooped, often pinched a little, with the
distal part of the fall petal slightly wider than the proximal part.

Some clones were exhuberant pod setters but had no pollen normally.  I suspect
there was a gene not unlike that of corn (Zea) where a Dominant for male
sterility was found and used for hybrid seed corn, the female rows having the
gene, the "bull" male-fertile rows not having it.  That sure took care of the
by-hand detasseling we did for a few weeks in very hot weather, over and over
again.  A similar gene seemed to be present in some, but not all,
pallida-types.

I include some of the "pink pallidas" as does Dave, I believe--such as the
very tall EROS and if I remember rightly, DOGROSE.

Other diploid pinks or pink blends such as NO-WE-TA and its offspring PINK
RUFFLES had a plant habit and type that was a mix of *pallida* and *variegata*
characteristics, as was PERFECTION, a neglecta with more veining than solid
color on its falls.  I have an unknown similar to Perfection growing here, but
it has a fair amount of yellow pigment in the center of the flower.  The
height is *pallida*, the blossom, branching, and foliage color are more that
of *variegata.*

Often fragrant, the most common flavor was rather like concord grapes, but not
all had that.  Blooms tended to be rather modest in size, often multiple in
sockets, and the stalks were fairly tall, usually well over 30", and somewhat
high branched.

The variegata types were almost all quite short--BB height at best, fairly
small, graceful flowers with more flare than any pallida type.  All that I
grew tended to be yellow with fall patterns in rust or reddish brown--or
perhaps better described as brownish red.  The exception was Reginae, which I
had only a short time--three or four years.

I don't recall noticing fragrance at all.

Foliage character is quite different from *pallida.*  It has none of that
bloom of the waxy blue sheen of the *pallidas*, is a yellow-touched green, and
has a slight amount of visible ribbing that the pallida foliage has none of.
Bloomstalks branch, fairly widely, and have sheaths retaining green.  I don't
remember about PBF, whether it was present or not.

In the first-generation tetraploids from *pallida* types, such as SNOW FLURRY,
much of the character of these *pallida* clones was retained.  That is one
reason I did not take Mary Tharp's adamant insistance that Snow Flurry was
from Purissima X Santa Barbara.  She was aware of Clara Rees' narrative, but
assumed the cross was contaminated.  Despite the improbability of a diploid
pollen parent, I am fairly sure the published pedigree is true.

I have never looked at the botanical descriptions for these species, so I am
not implying what I observed has any connection with the official
distinctions.

Neil Mogensen  z 7 western NC mountains

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