REF: Color Classes of Iris

Linda Mann writes (18 May 97):

> Learning to recognize iris cultivars from their looks is really hard to
do.
>  What I have learned from the iris shows and looking in gardens and
asking
> lots of questions is that iris come in what are known as 'color classes',
>  which I have never seen defined, but seems to mean a group of irises
that
> are pretty much impossible to tell apart unless you are an expert.  
(clip)
> Now for my question - what is a color class?  In general usage, does it
> include haft and beards or just standards and falls?  Are pink, orange,
> pinkorange, apricot, peach all separate color classes?

There WAS an official AIS system of color classification for iris, adopted
in 1949. The system is explained in full on page v of the 1969 AIS
Checklist. Under this system an iris was classified first by its
predominant color (W=white, V=violet, B=blue, G=green, Y=yellow, O=orange,
R=red, N=black, and RV=red-violet). Two symbols could be used together to
indicate a mixed color effect, such as OR for orange-red. Second was the
classification by pattern (1=self, 2=plicata, 3=bitone, 4=bicolor, and
5=blend). Hue could be indicarted by placing modifying letters after the
basic color symbol (P=pale, L=light, F=full, D=dark, and DD=very dark).

For example:
    STEPPING OUT was registered as "W2V", to be interpreted as "white
ground plicata with violet markings"

    PINK TAFFETA was registered as "R3L", presumably to be interpreted as
"pink bitone"

    GALA MADRID was registered as "Y4Rcm", to be interpreted as yellow and
red bicolor" ("cm", BTW, stands for "conspicuous mark")

    BIG BLACK BUMBLEBEE was registered as "V3LFcm", to be interpreted as
"bitone with light violet standards and full violet falls and conspicuous
mark"

and so on. The system was abandoned in the 1970's, no doubt because, in
spite of its arcane complexity, it failed to capture the endless variety of
color and pattern in the genus Iris.

Jeff Walters in northern Utah (Zone 4)
cwalters@cache.net
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