Re: HYB: umbrata trait

Since it's a word I made up, I guess I'm the one to explain.  I have
always loved the pink or white ground flowers with darker centers on the
falls.  In some discussions here back in the early days of this group (8
yrs ago?), I jokingly called the pattern I love "umbrata", in contrast
to "luminata", where the center of the fall around the beard is light.
Luminate being related to light, umbral relating to shadow.

At the time, I had in mind the patterns with a dark spot with distinct
edges (like a shadow), rather than a wash or central dark area fading
into the light rim.  According to The World of Iris, both the variegata
pattern (either yellow or pink ground with darker fall center) and
recessive blue amoena pattern (white ground with blue/purple center) are
the same genetics.   These are the two patterns I had in mind when I
first made up the word, plus the pink & yellow amoenas with a white rim.

However, this last bunch (the pink or yellow amoenas with white or paler
rims) are a different set of pigments and are (probably?) inherited
differently (i.e., not variegata, not recessive blue amoena).

Neil has pointed out that the umbrata pattern is characterized by a dark
pigmented layer on the falls that can be scratched revealing a lighter
pigmented area underneath.  Plus, others have suggested that the pattern
may be present (in the genetics) as dark streaks or a wash.  Neil also
says that this trait is dominant, not recessive.  Only the white ground
is recessive.  [At least I think that's what that all means]  In other
words, a recessive blue amoena is the same as the variegata pattern, but
with the yellow or pink color knocked out of the ground, leaving white.

So when Neil and I talk about the 'umbrata pattern', we generally wind
up going off in two different directions - I'm talking about the
appearance that I love, he's talking about the genetic trait which may
or may not give my favorite look.

Hope that helps.

<BlankHi, Could someone define the 'Umbrata trait'?  thanks, Char>

--
Linda Mann east Tennessee USA zone 7/8
East Tennessee Iris Society <http://www.korrnet.org/etis>
American Iris Society web site <http://www.irises.org>
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