CULT: Shriveled Stem Anomaly

Greetings.
 
Yesterday I was called to look at some overgrown clumps of historic  bearded 
irises and make recommendations for their renewal. The irises  are growing in 
full sun in clay in a Zone 6 garden in the foothills of Virginia.  Some 
questions arose, and I will pose them in several posts. I would be very  grateful 
for your input on these matters.
 
My first question concerns an anomaly of the stem of Farr's  "Seminole." 
There was a good sized clump of this, and there is no question in my  mind that 
the plant was correctly labeled. It was showing its pbf and blooming  pretty 
well, or trying to, at about eighteen inches, which is about right for  this 
height-challenged variety. 
 
However, although many of the stalks had fully developed buds which were  
showing color and were identical in appearance with those stalks not manifesting  
the anomaly, they had collapsed in the midsection, like overcooked green 
beans.  The base of the stalk appeared fine, and the top of the stalk with the  
ramification appeared fine, but in the middle about six inches of stalk had  
simply shriveled up and gone totally limp and collapsed upon itself so that the  
top of the stalk with buds was hanging down. These stalks were found on the  
interior of the clump of rhizomes, and there were quite a few of them.
 
My impression is that stalk anomolies tend to be frost damage or too much  
water damage or something that creates a trauma in the growing cycle, but I've  
never seen this before and it was not present on any of the other varieties in 
 the garden, only 'Seminole.' 
 
Does anyone have any idea what this was all  about?  
 
Thanks.
 
Anner Whitehead
Richmond VA USA

---------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off this list, send email to majordomo@hort.net with the
message text UNSUBSCRIBE IRIS
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index