Re: Ref: Database Classification Help Needed


From: HIPSource@aol.com

In a message dated 5/7/99 4:26:32 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
janclarx@hotmail.com writes:

<< or instance:
 Iris sibirica:
 Family = Iridaceae
 Genus = Iris
 Species = Sibirica
 then this is followed by X 'cultivar'>>

As I understand it, that is almost, but not quite, right. I'll pitch in what 
I know here and someone more knowedgeable can follow and correct me. 

There are two separate things: One is botanical terminology and one is 
horticultural terminology. They are similar, but the former is more detailed 
than the latter.

Family is that larger botanical category which contains all Genera, including 
the Genus Iris.  There are numerous subcategories between the genus Iris and 
the Iris species,  including those important ones not on your chart which 
break the Genus down into bearded and beardless, for instance. The name of 
each Species is a binomial and consists of two words: first is the name of 
the Genus, then there comes a term called the Specific Ephithet, like 
"siberica" in "Iris siberica". Then there may be some subdivisions below the 
species like "forms." which are written after the specific ephithet. 

This is how it works for "species", which are wild irises as Nature made 
them, not man-made hybrids. A "cultivar" is a unique botanical entity which 
is maintained and propagated for garden use, a "cultivated plant". It may be 
a unique clone of a "variety" of a species, but more often the term is used 
for plants resulting from human hybridizing efforts. The use of an X--called 
a grex mark--in a name is an indicator that it is a hybrid between two 
species or higher classifications. 

I would just fill the blanks in in descending order in  a descriptive way 
that makes sense to you but not try to made hybrid iris cultivars--which are 
unique entities but are not species-- fit into that framework too rigidly, 
since they probably won't. The bearded iris BEVERLY SILLS, for instance, is 
written 'Iris "Beverly Sills."' it used to be written I. germanica "Beverly 
SiIls", and Iris x "Beverly Sills", but I think these are no longer correct.
 
About color: Here you get into the whole morass of color names and different 
color systems. One way you can proceed is to visualize the color wheel which 
goes RED, orange, YELLOW, green, BLUE, purple, RED. Each alternate secondary 
color is a blend of the two adjacent primary colors. There can be an infinite 
number of gradations around the wheel. Then there is light to dark shades on 
each color, an infinite number if steps. It gets complicted and you don't 
need to have to try to figure out later what you meant by 
"blue-blue-violet-medium" as distinct from "blue-violet-dark."  So since this 
is your own database it makes sense to use descriptive color names that speak 
clearly to you, like "copper" or "mouse" or "light amethyst" or "dark shrimp" 
or " "baby ribbon pink--warm" or "baby ribbon pink--cool, meaning a bit 
bluer", or  "dingy cream" or " light canary yellow." Note many I've mentioned 
evoke a familiar physical object. 

Hope this helps some.

Anner Whitehead
HIPSource@aol.com





 

 

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