Scottish Rock Garden Club Forum
Plant Identification => Plant Identification Questions and Answers => Topic started by: ChrisB on May 28, 2011, 08:59:38 PM
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I have an iris that has flowered for me for the first time this year, and somehow I have no record of it. If anyone can put a name to it I would be most grateful.
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It looks quite tall?
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Have you checked the Cayeux catalogue http://www.iris-cayeux.com/index?lang=EN&SID=e2d67314fcb8b05ecbff7be905537040 (http://www.iris-cayeux.com/index?lang=EN&SID=e2d67314fcb8b05ecbff7be905537040)
Dont look at the miniatures. I did and made a long list ::)
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It looks a bit older than most of the varieties in the Cayeux catalogue (modern varieties tend to have frilled falls & standards), the falls on your plant are determinedly unfrilled; however, iris identification v. tricky as there are literally thousands of varieties, very few varieties have the full botanical descriptions that would enable accurate naming. Also, my experience of irises from Cayeux is that the colours in the catalogues are not always absolutely true (tho' most are) ~ I purchased what appeared to be a glowing pink variety (among many others); in my garden it flowers prolifically, but the blooms are a murky purple...
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Sorry, I should have said its a tall bearded. I will take a look at Cayeux, but thought it unlikely as its not got the characteristic frilly edges on it that most of their have.
I really don't know how I came by this iris, I have names for almost all I keep, but somehow this one has no name.
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I agree that it looks like an old maybe very old variety and is not likely to appear in any recent catalogue. Modern TBs all have widely flaring falls, often frilled or ruffled or with other odd appendages on them. Old forms have the typical drooping falls. The strong line marks on the hafts also suggest an old variety.
Cayeux is only one of very many breeders whose irises would likely be in the UK. Apart from the French and English breeders, there are Italians and many, many in the States, all churning out thousands of "new" irises every year. Oh and Australians too, and NZers, though I don't know if ours travel so very far. NZ breeders tend to breed specifically for NZ conditions which are not necessarily those in other countries.
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Thanks for your thoughts Lesley. The search continues....
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Hello Chris, I believe you would be more likely to find it in Clare Austins or Seagates catalouges....
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Or if you can't find it, forget about the name and just enjoy it. :D
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It is very nice Lesley, and yes, that's what I'm going to have to do.
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It is not necessarily a named variety. It looks a little like a couple of self sown seedlings in my garden.
Cheers
Göte
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Chris, I saw your query and by accident I saw yesterday an Iris in a show garden of perennials plants one which looked like your plant. Flowering was almost over but I could make a picture
The name of this Iris is “Tulip Festival”
Don’t ask me why it’s named like this ??? ::) I found out that it was registered in 1974 an won in USA (?) by Clough.
Iris TB Tulip Festival
PS I just saw that your plant the falls are not so clear yellow, so t will be something else?
Well, I did give it a try :)
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No, not the same. There are no brown haft markings on yours Luit, and as you say, Chris's is less yellow and I think less clean white. I think hers is older still, than 1974.
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Seagate Irises or Clare Austins catalouges, both firms deal in hybred bearded Iris which have stood the test of time in the UK.
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Yes, that one is very nice Luit, and close, but the white and yellows are much more distinct than mine, which are much more muted in every way. The closest I get to it is I. 'Starshine' which is pictured in Claire Austin's earlier book on bearded iris. So I'm going to call it I. aff. 'Starshine' to indicate the colour. I often propagate so need to give it a name of some sort....
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It's not 'Starshine' Chris which I don't grow now but it used to be a favourite at one time. Its falls are quite widely flaring and there is a distinct blue cast, a soft wash, if you like, below the beards.
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I've googled 'Starshine' and can't see a picture but oddly, I always knew it as 'Starshine,' as you've seen it Chris, but Google only gives 'Star Shine' so maybe that's a ref for a different TB.
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Thanks Lesley. The picture in Clare Austin's first Iris book looks a bit like it so I'll just call it aff. Starshine, then at least people can get an idea of what colour it is in flower. It is really beautiful. I've no idea how I came by it either, its not in my list, but I do sometimes forget to put new acquisitions in it... mea culpa. The search continues. If Ms Austin ever comes back to give us another talk, I'll certainly take a photo in case she can help. This one doesn't have any frilly edges to the falls at all.
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ID please.
I bought this in the Market on Saturday, can someone ID it please as Iris is not one of my strong points.
It is in a 2ltr pot and the foliage app 15cm high. Looks like Iris attica purple form ?.
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Michael, I think it is more likely to be a cultivar (bred iris) than a species or subspecies of a species. I'm particularly looking at the frilliness of its edges and even more, of the large velvety blade to the falls, edged lighter. It has a cultivar look to it. I had one called 'Mitternacht' to which it is similar but there are so many to choose from. Maybe someone will be able to give it a name. It's lovely, whatever it is. :)
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Looks like a dwarf, I'll take a look in my books see if I can spot anything like it.
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Gerhard Raschun thinks it is Iris bicapitata, and having looked it up I think he is correct, so I will go with that unless someone comes with a better idea.
Thanks for your help.
Cheers.
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Does this help Michael?
http://www.signa.org/index.pl?Display+Iris-bicapitata+2
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Thanks David, but it is difficult because of the dark blue/purple colour. None of the pictures show up the correct colour, it is a very deep blue with a purple throat, no yellow in the throat.
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Looks a bit like Iris aphylla, if it has branching next year perhaps you could call it that... The name Iris benacencis comes to mind but I can't find the Iris society species group newsletter where it was written up a couple of years ago.
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....because of the whitish beard and anthers / pollen
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I am normally easily confused but the Bearded Iris add to the confusion big time. ;D
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Don't you see Michael - the bearded Iris were very bad students and refused to read the books, or else they just don't have the same rules we think that they should have. ;D ;D ;D
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I don't think it is bicapitata, especially if those tucked-under falls are typical and the beard is different too. I'd still go for a min. dwarf bearded cultivar. You said you bought it at a market Michael. Can you go back to the seller and enquire? How likely is it that the seller would grow bicapitata, which is not common at all?
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Iris bicapitata is highly variable, here, judging by the color would be the wrong way. It is very typical of the kind that are almost two flowers open at once. I doubt Iris aphylla blood, as Peter suggest, because it lacks the typical branching of the inflorescence. Last year I bought a similar plant by a Hungarian Iris specialists, which was labeled as Iris italica. Probably it is a valid name ! After two flowers were open at the same time, I immediately thought of Iris capitata. My suspicion was correct, and the name was only a synonym for Iris bicapitata.
Iris bicapitata is very vigorous and hardy here in zone 6b. It spreads so well in collections, but unfortunately it is mainly propagated vegetatively, so only a few clones are in circulation. The most beautiful clone is a deep blue clone, which you will find at Sigma database too, it is distributed by an Italien grower, and PC has sold this clone too some years ago. In my collection there is a pale clone , nearly white, and Tony has another light blue clone, which he has labelled as spec. ex Gargano.
But there always remains the possibility that there hybridogenes lines ....
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How tall does Iris bicapitata grow please Gerhard?
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The leaves reache a high of approx. 15-20cm, the flower reaches a high of approx. 25-30cm
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Thankyou Gerhard, your pictures are lovely. I don't have Iris bicapitata. I think that Michaels plant is smaller and a hybrid, but if it produces branching next year it could be called Iris (x)aphylla and if it is taller with two top buds it could be called Iris (x)bicapitata