HIST: mystery iris

From: Linda Mann <lmann@icx.net>

One of the irises that looks like it's been here since the turn of the
century opened today.  Now that I have some things to compare it with,
both on the HIPS page and in my garden, maybe some of you can make some
guesses & we can work a little closer to figuring out what it might be.

The basic color is bitone lavender.  It's about the height of the
average TB here, somewhat taller than HONORABILE.  Flowers are larger
than H, with almost horizontal falls.  The flower form is much like some
of the MTBs I've seen - more perky than a TB.  Standards are closed,
falls arched to almost horizontal with tips very slightly (maybe)
ruffled.  The far end of the falls is wider than the end near the stalk
& the impression is of a narrow fall (almost siberian shaped).  The
standards are a gray blue violet, much lighter than the main color of
the falls, which is about the same color of the center of the falls on
WABASH: almost as dark as CHERRY SMOKE, but not quite as red.  The falls
are heavily veined this darker color about 2/3 of the way down/out the
falls (on a white ground), then merge together to make the solid color
for the other third of the fall.  Beards are yellow.  Insides of the
standards are zebra striped a darker gray/blue/lavender on a lighter
ground than the rest of the standards, which are a color not on anything
else in bloom right now.  Almost the color of the unopened buds of
CELEBRATION SONG, only bluer - a murky, grayish blueish lavender.  The
striping on the falls shows thru on unopened buds making them look
almost like a plicata before opening.  Foliage has purple leaf bases.  

It is sort of like Faustine (the closest in appearance of other things
in bloom now), tho a different color, size, shape of petals.  From
pictures on the HIPS page - somewhat like Ambassadeur only with grayer
standards and more horizontal falls; more like Autumn Elf in shape;
falls almost as dark as Black Prince; (my notes also say striping like
Demideuil or Maurice Lassailly, but I don't remember what those looked
like for sure).

Any guesses?

Linda Mann east Tennessee USA
Hail balls 3 inches deep on I-40 yesterday on the Plateau just west of
here shut it down - glad I did my tours the day before.  Rain last night
really pounded things, but more buds coming along.



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