SPEC: Iris variegata

From: Bill Shear <BILLS@hsc.edu>

I've been trying to get this species for some time now.  SIGNA seed of it
never germinates for me, and I've held some of the pots for 3 years.
Finally I saw a large mass of it in an old, semi-abandoned garden across
town (probably not the real article, a selected cultivar, but close
enough), and asked the owner for some plants, come July.

Well, I did get the plants.  Evidently the kind person dug up the whole
clump, separated and washed the rhizomes, put them in a plastic bag, and
finding me not at home, left them in my garage, where I discovered them
about two weeks ago.  After nearly three months in a hot, dry place in a
plastic bag, as you can imagine they looked very, very dead.  However, I
picked out some of the more promising-looking rhizomes and planted them
anyway.  Much to my delight and surprise, now these "dead" plants are
sending up green fans.

Has anyone else had this experience with variegata or other diploid
species?  It seems there is some level, at least, of adapatation to summer
dormancy here.

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




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