JI: Yellow ensata

Recently, we had some discussion of false claims by some nurseries about
their sale of bright yellow Higo Japanese irises.  This last weekend,
our local large nursery put on display its new bulbs, rhizomes, corms,
etc.  Conspiculous amongst the offering was a really bright yellow and a
crimson/vermillion Higo Japanese iris. I asked the buyer from the store
why he was selling packages which showed flower colours that did not
exist in the species.  He did not have a clear reply except to say that
he was following the material sent my the wholeseller.  I tracked down
the wholeseller, in Ontario and then discovered that the company was run
out of British Columbia (by pure chance, on property right next to a
farm that we owned in Langley up until 1975, they moved in in 1978!).  

The wholeseller is Van Noort's and I had a long discussion with the
owner Carl Van Noort.  He said that he had received a number of
complaints and was thinking of dropping these plants next year.  They
were sent to him by Japanese suppliers, even though the coloured label
carries the symbol of the Dutch plant suppliers.  He said that the
material he received was:-

yellow	- Aichinokagayaka

The description of this iris in the 1996 cumulative check list is:- S.
light yellow; F. slightly darker yellow, dark yellow signal patch with
many distinct brown markings around the edge (I. pseudacorus x white I.
ensata )1993.

The photograph accompanying the rhizome is entirely very bright yellow
with no markings at all.

Can an interspecies cross be classed as a Higo?

red - Benibotan

Although there are a number of Beni's in the 1996 check list, there are
no Beni Botan.

He was also offered another red - Kagurajishi.

There is no iris under this name in the 1996 check list.

What can we conclude? Marketing hype has taken over the Japanese bulk
rhizome supplies?  Consumer beware?  Buy from a reputable nursery!


Ian, in Ottawa where we were promised a major snow storm this morning. 
It rained all day and by this afternoon the weather forecasters are
talking about snow flurries and rain.  I note that they never apologies
for getting it wrong!
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