SPEC-Iris prismatica

I have been reviewing in detail all the replies pertaining to Anna's
request for identification of her bog plant, which appears to be Iris
prismatica.  I have also examined my own plants with and compared them
with the e-mail descriptions.  

Some of the descriptions are contractictory.  For example, Rick's
reference to setosa and versicolor being like sibirica, which is like
prismatica is, I believe, wrong.  The two species sibirica and
prismatica are very similar.  They have tall (3ft in the case of
prismatica, not small as Rick suggested), straight plants with thin
(below half an inch wide) leaves with almost no sign of coarse mid-rib
or ribs and the leaves are green but with a distict grey-white cast. 
Both versicolor and setosa have broad (well above half and inch wide)
leaves which are green and have quite coarse ribs and one can feel a mid
rib or ribs without any trouble.  The leaves also lean out  from the
base at about 45 degrees leaving a "hole" in the middle of the plant,
just like pseudocorus, ensata, virginica, etc.

Diana noted that there is no purple base on prismatica and setosa but
there is on versicolor.  I agree about prismatica but, right at the base
of the setosa leaves there is a purple region.  It does not extend up
the leaves as in versicolor but it is there.  This is not surprising as
setosa appears to have begat versicolor.

As to the rhizome format for prismatica, mine does not run everywhere as
the literature suggests it should norcan I see rhizomes in the growing
plant but it has the form that would follow a fiberous root mass.  It is
a striking garden plant just for its foliage.

Unfortunately, I have a white flowered form which did not set seeds, so
that I cannot comment on the colour.  I would note, however, that the
descriptions in the e-mails cover pink violet, light blue, white, pale
violet, and light blue.  Now, how does this compare with Rodney's
picture - which looks like a virginica to me.  Does that flower fit one
of these colour descriptions and does that picture look like your
various prismatica?

Ian, in Ottawa where we are four or five weeks late for a frost and, if
things continue as they are doing, we will be sunbathing on Christmas
Day!
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