HYB: substance

Linda Mann posted a review of the background of 'Celtic Harp' following
Betty's request for parents passing on substance.

In the ancestry of 'Celtic Harp' there are a number of irises I spotted that
either I have grown or know to be in ancestries of things of strong or heavy
substance.  'Glittering Amber' is an example.  So is 'Claudia Rene.'  There
are quite a number of others.

First of all, it is worthwhile to point out that "substance" can be more than
one thing.  Some irises have thick petals, but there are some that have not so
thick, but especially tough tissue structure that make them quite
weather--rain and wind--resistant.  A very few have both the thickness of
tissue and the weather resistance.  Some have been described as "Tupperware"
tough.

What I'm saying is that "Substance" as such is ambiguous.  It makes a
difference which of the above you mean, or if you mean both.  The thick-petal
type alone can be rather fragile.  I've seen blooms of this sort just melt in
hot sun or get shredded by wind and rain.  Thickness alone, giving the
impression of substance, isn't of real value unless the flower has the other
quality also.

The one iris I'm currently growing that has the extreme most of both is a
seedling from 'Fogbound.'  Unfortunately the color renders it about the
ugliest iris I have ever seen, but I suspect it might be quite useful as a
breeder because of plant habit, branching and the "Tupperware"-toughness of
the bloom.  For that reason I continue to give it space.  It has some
incredibly beautiful siblings.

This all suggests to me that 'Fogbound' and its numerous offspring now showing
up on the market from people like Keith himself, Joe Ghio and others are gold
mines of genetic potential.  If one wanted to breed toward any number of
objectives, 'Fogbound' and its close kin could be especially useful.

Neil Mogensen  z 7 western NC mountains

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