Oncos in Flower...

[Rafa]

Just fabulous!!! 

[Maggi Young]

Wonderful, isn't it? I will leave it to Lesley or Otto to tell you who grew the plant.... I am not entirely sure myself.... as I say, I am just the bringer of good tidings!

[Lesley Cox]

The grower of this gorgeous iris is Marcus Harvey, bulb grower/nurseryman, in Tasmania. He sent the pic asking Otto to put it on the Forum. Otto sent it to me with the same request and I sent it on to Maggi, whose computer skills with anything other than the basics, are much greater than mine or Otto's.

What is even better is that Marcus' good friend Susan Jarrick is painting it. Susan is a superb botanical artist. Hopefully there will come an opportunity to show her painting later.

[Rafa]

oh yes please!!! watercolors?
This is a technique challenge  ...

[Paul T]

Just beautiful.  Well done Marcus.

[arillady]

I sure hope that it doesn't bloom out. What a treasure - will keep my fingers crossed that it increases and that there might be some later to buy. The leaves are showing what some of mine do - the browning of the tips of the leaves - I have put it down to the combination of cold and wet. The arils that are in nearly pure gravel for about 4-6" under the rhizomes are faring better than some sites that stay on the damp side.
Flowering stalks are appearing here.
A friend in Melbourne shared a photo this week of his potted Iris haynei that I sent to him last year. Much earlier than my bloom season opening

[Otto Fauser]

Thank you Maggi ,our computer wizzard, for putting Marcus Harvey,s mouthwatering pot of  Iris afghanica onthe Forum , too much of a good thing, as it exhausted itself flowering to death , so this is the end of I. afghanica in Australia.
    Otto.

[Maggi Young]

Otto, you give me too much credit...... I can only manage the basics of this computer, as Fred Admin will attest!
What a terrible shame that this wonderful pot of Iris has flowered itself to death. Sad that some of the most beautiful plants will do that..... sad, and very frustrating. thank goodness we have at least the photo to admire, and the plant will be immortalised in the painting.

[arillady]

Oh blow. Will have to try seed if it is ever available.
A few photos of my aril beds to follow.

[Lesley Cox]

Here is a painting of Iris sari, by Susan Jarrick. It will be from Marcus' plant I imagine.

Susan is a quiet and gentle lady who is perhaps a little unsure of her own great skill with a paint brush. I was privileged to see a portfolio of her work when I stayed with Marcus last year. Otto has a stunning painting of another onco.

This I. sari is of a darker than usual form.

[Lesley Cox]

Here I am among all these glorious things, posting pics (with permission) but others have grown them.

This is another from Marcus Harvey in Tasmania who apparently had it from our own Arillady, Pat Toolan who had it from Marcus in the first place (I think I have that right).



It is Iris samariae or perhaps a hybrid of it and in flower right now, so early that Marcus has had to bring it undercover to protect from the winter weather.

[Paul T]

Stunning!!  It reminds me of my favourite pic of Iris iberica ssp elegantissima (obviously not the same colour, but similar form etc), which is my main Iris lust (which I got from Marcus and it rotted!  ).  I must get back into the aril types. 

[Hans A.]

Sad the Iris afghanica does not exist any more - the number of clones left in cultivation is not very high .

Lesley - the Onco you have posted is a stunner - but it does not look like Iris samariae (which now is also Iris lortetii) - please compare http://pa.photoshelter.com/gallery-img-show?G_ID=G0000MAenVY3MPV8&V_ID=&P_ID=&start=7&pagtotal=15- I looks nearer Iris hermona or a hybrid of it. I hope there will come more comments about it from other members of this forum. 

[Joakim B]

Nice plantation Pat. I hope to see it when flowering 
(Marcus) Sorry to hear about the Iris afghanica dying after flowering.
Lesley to an untried eye the iris have similarities with Iris iberica ssp elegantissima as Paul said. (I do not think his eyes are untraied but mine).
Hope to see more of these soon
Kind regards
Joakim

[Paul T]

Joakim,

In the case of these sorts of irises my eyes are definitely untrained!!  Mien was a superficial observation, nothing more.  Only because I adore elegantissima and I immediately thought of it when I saw the pic.  Either way, I'd grow it if I had the chance!!