Re: "German" Iris
iris@hort.net
  • Subject: Re: "German" Iris
  • From: R* P* <r*@embarqmail.com>
  • Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:56:45 -0400 (EDT)
Barb; The German Iris name is something I have studied for years. It came about because when Linneaus was creating the first modern system of taxonomy he named Iris germanica. At the time he had received specimens from Germany and assumed it was native there. It is likely that this was a cultivar being grown in German gardens. The most common cultivar carrying the name Iris Germanica that is grown in North American is the old blue intermediate Iris often called grandmas old flags. It seems likely that this is what Linneaus saw. 

But we now know that this plant is relatively sterile and triploid in chromosome number. It is theorized to have come from a cross with a 40 chromosome dwarf species and a 24 or 48 chromosome tall species. Linneausb Iris was the plant he chose as the most impressive and the type specimen for the genus Iris. Of course at the time he only knew of 12 Iris species.

Early cultivars of tall-bearded irises were based on crosses using mostly Iris pallida and Iris variegata. These are the now historic diploid tall-beardeds. They had no Iris germanica in their background but were still often referred to as Iris Germanic because it was the representative Iris for the genus.
 
Many years later 48 chromosome Irises from Turkey appeared and were incorporated into the modern tall-bearded Irises. One of the most famous Iris collected in Turkey was Amas. It was a key parent behind almost all modern tetraploid Irises. Amas was described as a form of Iris germanica. We may never know it Linneaus really had a plant like Amas or a plant like Grandmas Old Flags, but it seems likely it was the later. 

The problem has troubled irisarians for years. One taxonomist provided a new botanical name for tetraploid tall beardeds as Iris xalto-barbata. The x in front of the species name is a way for writing hybrids. Personally I prefer this name for TBs. But the old German Iris name is entrenched, even though the species involved we never German.  Hope you are not now as confused as the terminology.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Barb Jackson" <jacksonb@mts.net>
To: iris@hort.net
Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 8:31:05 AM
Subject: [iris] "German" Iris

Can anyone tell me how all bearded iris became generically called 
"German" iris?  And further, why many non-iris specific commercial sites 
refer to all bearded iris no matter what the classification as "German" 
bearded iris?   An example from a sale flyer I received recently:

Iris germanica "Fireplace Embers" (SDB)
Iris germanica " Tanzanian Tangerine" (TB)


I speak to garden clubs and make public presentations on iris throughout 
my region and this question is asked over and over again by 
participants.   I fear my explanation is less than adequate so I thought 
I'd ask the question here.

All input would be appreciated.

BJ in SW MB, Canadian Prairies, Zone 3ish

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