SPEC: hybrids of I. versicolor

Many of you have probably gotten the current SIGNA pages now, with an
emphasis on water irises.  It prompted some musings about Iris versicolor.

I've bloomed two batches of seed now (from SIGNA) of biversatas ((ensata x
versicolor) x versicolor).  All have been virtually identical to
versicolors.  I've only seen pictures of versatas (ensata x versicolor),
but they do appear to be intermediate between the two species.  I wonder if
the biversatas have any ensata genetic material left at all--could the
large number of versicolor chromosomes simply overwhelm or eliminate it?
Sharon, as our chromosome expert, I'd appreciate your take on this.

The biversatas produce bee-pollinated seed as readily as pure versicolor.

Now blooming is a sibcolor seedling (siberica x versicolor), which does
seem intermediate.  The plant has versicolor-like foliage and the
bloomstalk has a single long branch.  The flower is almost perfectly
intermediate but with a very sibirica-like bronzy throat in the falls that
is never seen in versicolor (at least never seen by me).

In two years I should be seeing bloom on a fair number of versilaevs--and
am wondering if anyone is intercrossing these various versicolor
descendants.

Has anyone seen any pseudacorus x versicolor hybrids?

Bill Shear
Department of Biology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney VA 23943
(804)223-6172
FAX (804)223-6374
email<bills@hsc.edu>

"Ruth Adams Club Goes Vertical"
--picture caption in the May 12, 1986, edition of the Farmville Herald.
The photo shows four elderly ladies standing behind a flower arrangement.
They look very grim.
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