unknown Iris

[arillady]

Mark here is my Iris purpureobractea from last year - two forms from the same source of seed

[mark smyth]

Thanks. Now that I see your plants I know why mine has not flowered this year. It is stuck in a pot. I must plant it later.

[Maggi Young]

Got this note from a friend, can you Iris buffs give your opinion, please?

 A. says...."I've got a dwarf blue Iris - just under a foot - that is really nice and there was a clump on a stand at Gardening Scotland yesterday very like it labeled setosa but my Iris of China book indicates setosa is not exactly similar. I've been trying to get a name for it for ages. The roots are thong-like and there's a lot of old hairy stuff on the thickened bit, not really a rhizome. Only one flower to a stem and the stem has two stem leaves. Hope you can shed some light on it or express an educated opinion!"

Here is a photo of the clump and of a flower....

[Michael J Campbell]

Can anyone put a name on this one for me please.

[PeterT]

Got this note from a friend, can you Iris buffs give your opinion, please?

 A. says...."I've got a dwarf blue Iris - just under a foot - that is really nice and there was a clump on a stand at Gardening Scotland yesterday very like it labeled setosa but my Iris of China book indicates setosa is not exactly similar. I've been trying to get a name for it for ages. The roots are thong-like and there's a lot of old hairy stuff on the thickened bit, not really a rhizome. Only one flower to a stem and the stem has two stem leaves. Hope you can shed some light on it or express an educated opinion!"

Here is a photo of the clump and of a flower....

Hello Maggie,
 The picture is of an Iris setosa, it has a huge distribution and ssp canadensis is recognised again as a species (Iris hookeri), tridentata has now been recognised as a seperate species as well.
 The setosas range from a few centimeters high to  over one meter, they nearly all have only bristles for stands as in the picture, an instant giveaway! some forms  are lanky plants with beautifull thin floppy and very large flowers others are stocky plants like the one pictured and Iris hookeri which is very short. Yet others are sprightly plants with pointed petals
There are intersectional hybreds around with sibiricas known as sibtosas and I think someone called Tony Hubert was doing work on this

[PeterT]

Can anyone put a name on this one for me please.

Hi Michael,
 it looks like some kind of sibirica, The yellow veining is familiar but I can't place it, - I will let you know if I recall any clearer, you could try looking up Clare Austins list.

[Lesley Cox]

Well, Peter's said it all.

[PeterT]

Got this note from a friend, can you Iris buffs give your opinion, please?

 A. says...."I've got a dwarf blue Iris - just under a foot - that is really nice and there was a clump on a stand at Gardening Scotland yesterday very like it labeled setosa but my Iris of China book indicates setosa is not exactly similar. I've been trying to get a name for it for ages. The roots are thong-like and there's a lot of old hairy stuff on the thickened bit, not really a rhizome. Only one flower to a stem and the stem has two stem leaves. Hope you can shed some light on it or express an educated opinion!"

Here is a photo of the clump and of a flower....

Hello Maggie,
 The picture is of an Iris setosa, it has a huge distribution and ssp canadensis is recognised again as a species (Iris hookeri), tridentata has now been recognised as a seperate species as well.
 The setosas range from a few centimeters high to  over one meter, they nearly all have only bristles for stands as in the picture, an instant giveaway! some forms  are lanky plants with beautifull thin floppy and very large flowers others are stocky plants like the one pictured and Iris hookeri which is very short. Yet others are sprightly plants with pointed petals
There are intersectional hybreds around with sibiricas known as sibtosas and I think someone called Tony Hubert was doing work on this

Apologies to Tony Hubert, - he was or is working with versicolour and laevigata, (not to my knowledge sibtosas), the person I had in mind was Doug Murry, Thomas Tamburg has also worked on sibtosas according to the British Iris Society seed lists

[Maggi Young]

PeterT: thank you very much for your help.... my friend has seen your reply and is also most grateful. Cheers! 

[Regelian]

Can anyone put a name on this one for me please.

Michael,

it is definitely in the chrysographes group, possibly I. delavayi or a hybrid there of.  This group has 40 chromosomes, while the siberica group have 28 chromosomes.  They do not interbreed.

A lovely flower!  Keep it moister than sibericas, if possible.

Jamie

[Michael J Campbell]

Thanks Jamie, will do.