CAT: Willow Bend Farm, "irregular" flower patterns

I've noticed in my Willow Bend Farm catalog that several cultivars
developed by Ensminger have flowers with irregular patterns on them.
Is this a good thing???  I remember hearing that tulips hundreds of
years ago that had irregularly colored flowers turned out to have a
virus...and consequently all the infected bulbs had to be destroyed.

I'm not sure if that's a true story, and nor do I intend to imply
that that's what's happening with Ensminger's cultivars.  But I am
confused as to what could cause an iris to produce irregular patterns
in its flowers and why this would be considered a prized character-
istic?  Here are some examples of the cultivars I'm referring to:

MARIA TORMENA (Ensminger 86)  Pink, with irregular violet splashes.
        No two blooms alike.  Award of Merit.  Rebloomer.  Fragrant.

JILTED (Ensminger 84)  Rose pink irregularly splashed raspberry
        purple.  Rebloomer.

PURPLE STREAKER (Ensminger 81)  Purple with irregular white streaks.
        No two flowers alike!  Honorable Mention '93.

PAINTED PLIC (Ensminger 82)  Violet-blue, irregular marks.

Again, what causes this?  Does this occur in wild "natural" species
and varieties?  I think that BATIK is probably another cultivar like
this?  Is there a scientific term for this phenomenon?  Are there
any books or articles on the web that discuss it?


Dennis Kramb; dkramb@tso.cin.ix.net
Cincinnati, Ohio USA; USDA Zone 6; AIS Region 6
Member of AIS, ASI, HIPS, RBIS, SIGNA, & Miami Valley Iris Society
Primary Interests: Hybridizing Arilbreds, Raising Native Ohio Species Irises
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index