Iris species

[Rafa]

 

Many thanks for this fantastic pictures Dian. Definitively I will choose this species in SRGC seedlist.

Thanks you!!

[Ed Alverson]

Another Pacific Coast Iris species, which was included in last year's seed list, is Iris tenax.  I think I have read that this is the hardiest of the Pacific Coast iris.  We are lucky to have it growing wild in prairies and woodlands around the Willamette Valley, and fairly commonly at that (and my apologies for not having collected any seed for this year's exchange!)

Here is a photo taken several years ago of a plant in the wild.  The flower color can vary in the wild from light purple to a fairly dark purple as shown here.  I have it growing in my garden in rather bright shade, where it gets no summer watering.

Ed

[Maggi Young]

Suberb plant in the wild, Ed.... we'll be holding you to the seed collection next year!

[David Nicholson]

I like that one (but I say that about all Irises! )

[Diane Whitehead]

That is the best wild clump I have seen, Ed.

There is a small area near Hagg Lake, Oregon, west of Portland,
where the tenax are yellow.  Originally they
had been growing along a stream. I followed the directions
in Victor Cohen's 1967 British Iris Society booklet,  ‘A Guide
to the Pacific Coast Irises’ but discovered that the stream had
been dammed since he made his trip, and the area where the iris
had been growing now had motor boats pulling water skiers.
Fortunately, members of SPCNI (Society for Pacific Coast Native
Iris) had moved the iris, so they are still growing close to where
they had originally been.

This picture was taken May 10, 2006.

[Ed Alverson]

I believe Diane that your nice photo of the yellow Iris tenax from near Hagg Lake is Iris tenax var. gormanii.  I understand that a few additional populations have recently been found, but it is still a very local variety.  I haven't had a chance to see it myself but according to a recent paper, it differs from typixcal I. tenax not just in the yellow flower color but also in size or shape of bracts, sepals, and style crests. 

To confuse the picture even more, there are places in the Oregon Coast Range west of Portland where plants of Iris tenax var. tenax have flowers ranging from purple to lavender to cream to even white.  However, these are considered color forms of I. tenax since the flower morphology is (shape, size, etc.) does not differ from typical I. tenax.

Presumably any seed donations labeled "Iris tenax" are most likely the purple or lavender form, but you never know for sure what you will get when the plants come in to bloom!

-Ed

[David Nicholson]

I was very interested in Rafa and Susan's sowing methods at the beginning of this thread and, in the event of my getting the Iris seed I have requested from the Seed Exchange I would like to give it a try. My normal, and unscientifiic,  sowing method has been the very simple 'sow'em on receipt, cover 'em with grit, and stick 'em outside method' with some successes and some failures. My question is, is there an optimum time of the year to try this 'new' method or is it worth trying 'on receipt'?

[Susan Band]

An up date on my nomocharis seed mentioned earlier in the thread. They are still doing well with most starting to put up their first true leaf.
The trilliums have been out of the fridge since Nov and although not  germinating yet the seed still looks plump and well.
I will keep you posted.
Lesley I got some trillium seed from Kristal  which is now spending time in the fridge, they will prob come into the house after new year. This is the first seed I have got from outside sources in a long time I will let you know if I have sucess.
Susan

[Susan Band]

David,
I will let Rafa answer about the Iris seed I haven't tried it with them. I have just received some Juno seed and wasn't too sure about what to do with it. I ended up sowing it in perlite in the house.
Rafa, What have you tried with junos?
One advantage of keeping things in the house is that no critters can get to it (hopefully) although I don't know where everyone will sit for christmas lunch.

Susan

[Rafa]

Hello,

Be careful with Junos, this technique is not very good to them. I suggest in Junos to use GA3 (Giberelic Acid) and patience. The experiments I did with Juno seeds and forced germination were unsuccesful, most of them were atacked by fungus after two weeks. I think I will try another experiment with Junos and forced germination, let me explain better, I have to translate!!

David, you could try this method in late september  or in late winter,

All the best,

rafa

[David Nicholson]

Thank you Rafa

[Gerhard Raschun]

Dear Rafa,

here I want to show the first results of my experiance with embryotic culture of Junos(I. rosenbachiana):

embryo seperated and put on medium in flask: 19.07.2007

exflask and pict taken: 02.01.2008

nice, small tubers, approx. the size of +/- 1 year old seedlings of pot culture

Sadly, but oncos don`t grow as easy as Junos,

best Gerhard

[ChrisB]

I've been sowing seed in damp vermiculite for a number of years now.  Lots of perennials seem to enjoy this medium for germination.  And the best part was that the seeds were easy to get out of it and prick out too.  I have used this combined with silver sand dampened for many years to propagate my diascias and many other cuttings.  I decided to mix the silver sand in because I thought the roots would be stronger doing it this way, with a bit of resistance whilst forming.  I had before tried cuttings in water, but opted for this method as a preferred way because the roots do seem stronger.  It is also good for me to do cuttings this way because I can post them off to people I swap diascias with, its lighter for postage and easier to transport.  So the seed sowing has been done this method out of sheer laziness really.  I buy the trays with 40 pots in them and use those inside a plastic tray, and keep a little water in the bottom at all times, so they don't dry out.

for my seed sowing I usually keep the trays in my conservatory so they are out of the cold but not warm either (its unheated), and I do it in January/Feb on the whole.  One year I kept a record of which seeds germinated and when etc too, but I lost the details long ago.  However, I've not been working with bulb seeds or with alpines so this may not work for them, so the seed I got this year has been put in the fridge until I decide its time to sow. 

I think this year, (because I'm sowing more alpines and bulb seeds, and after reading posts and the bulb log),  I am going to experiment with a mix of the vermiculite, mole hill soil, builders sand and chick grit (something I found them using at Howick to germinate their various wild collected seed) to see if that makes any difference.  Now I have to decide whether to keep them outside or inside, (I could do either). What do people think?  I can't be bothered to sort the seed into this sort and that, they'll all have to cope with the same method.

[Rafa]

Gerhard, sorry I haven't seen your message. I think that with your lab you have better conditions to have success with Junos than with GA3, obviously your results are splendid. Maybe with oncos, regelias, pogons  it is more easy to use forced germination. This is Iris darwasica sown in october after 3 weeks in the fridge. I think it is growing even the flower (it is too fat) but only in 8 months!?

[Hans A.]

Rafa - I think this is a fantastic result!