', ·• r ·• ., • • . . •.... 1-· · ' . D

... . ,: ; : ~'SIG NA

- ; - . :

,·_: .· .. . . • .~. • J .

' . ·Ti--i'E STIJDY GROUP I • • ,I . • - I OF NORTI-1 A.MERICA ... : . . THE SPECIES IRIS GROUP OF NORTH Af'"J.ERICA October, 1981 - No. 27 OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY

CHAIRMAN Jean Witt 16516 - 25th, NE . , Seattle, Wash. 98155 SECRETARY Grace Carter 1212 Tucker Rd. , Hood River, Oregon 97031 TREASURER Francesca Thoolen 255 Manzanita Dr . , Orinda, Calif. 94563 SEED EXCHANGE DIRECTOR Mary Duvall Route 1, Box 142, Dassel, Minn. 55325 SPECIES ROBIN Joan ...Cooper 212 County Road C, DIRECTOR St. Paul, Minn. 55113 SPECIES SLIDES Dorothy Hujsak 3227 South Fulton Ave . DIRECTOR Tulsa, Oklahoma 74135 BACK ISSUES AND Maryann Anning La Cresta Gardens, 12864 Viscaino Rd. PUBLICATIONS SALES Los Altos Hills, Calif. 94022 EDITOR OF THE Roy Davidson 911 Western Ave., /1210 , Seattle, Wash. 98104 SPECIES MANUAL 4249 'Iwenty Rd. E., R.R. 2, Hannon, EDITOR OF SIGNA Bruce Richardson On tario, Canada LOR IPO CONTENTS Page No . Chairman's Remarks Jean Witt 891 Editorial Coilllllents Bruce Richardson 892 Variation in Ir-is pZanifolia Nigel Service 893 More on Fragrant Irises Jean Witt 895 Injurious to the Skin Jean Witt 896 Note on Iris rossii Jean Witt 896 Iris Subgenus Scotpiris - review Roy Davidson 897 Iris in FLORA EUROPAEA - review Roy Davidson 899 h-is japoniaa in Western Chiua. Roy Davidson 900 Evansia Letters of Elwood Molseed Roy Davidson 901 Topical Species Index Roy Davidson 903 Letters 909 Questions Roy Davidson 911 Species Iris in Denver Panayoti Callas 912 prawing - Rock Alpine Garden - Denver 915 Aquatic & Wetland Plants - U.S . Godfrey & Worth 916 Drawing -I. pseudaaorus 917 Drawing - I. fuiva 918 prawing - I . tridenta 920 Drawing - I. hexagona 922 _ Drawing - I. virginiaa 923 I. graminea L. , Caryological Analysis Ricci & Zacchio 926 A New Species - Iris yebrudii Chaudhary 929 Back Issues of Signa - Availability 930 ********** lViEMBERSHIPS

Still just $3. 00 (U.S. ) a year, unchanged for several years, single or family, but only one copy of SIGNA will be sent to a family membership. Send applications for membership to : Francesco Thoolen 255 Manzanita Dr. Orindar Calif. 94563; U.S.A. 891 ,

CHAIRMAN'S MESSAGE Jea.11 Will

1981 has been a good year for species irises in the Seattle area, in spite of erratic weather that included unprecidented heat in August. Not only.have last spring's new seedlings grown well, but we've had several promising new acquisitions. The Evansia from China is proving to be a good increaser, and divisions have now gone to England for eventual identification. We will test it for hardiness this winter, leaving pa~t of it out for nature to take its course, and keeping part of it in the house. A second introduction of I. rossii from Korea has barely survived, but the first is now thriving. We were able to pick up ~mother clone of I. cristata, this one collected in Ohio; and we received word of several variants newly found in the Ozarks, supporting my belief that we haven't yet seen all the desirable forms of this species by any means. There were some disappointments too-the seedling Cypeiza he~bePtii bloomed as a small yellow iris! It would be nice to think this is I. Zusitanica~ but I fear it is more likely that the seeds were from some named yellow garden variety.

Bearded species, are of course, part of SIGNA 'S field of interest, and I hope that some of our members are devoting their attention to assembling collections· in this somewhat neglected field. We are in some danger of losing the clones that Dr. Randolph collected in Europe in the 1960 1 s, and need to find additional people to perpetuate bearded species so this gene pool is maintained. I hope that some of our younger members will adopt the bearded species as their special sphere of interest, so that exi~ting collections can be handed on. Think of it as a service project - they are, admittedly, not spectacular garden ornaments. But we need to keep them in our gardens, since opportunities for additional collections grow fewer each passing year; and we may need them at some future date, for contributions we cannot now anti­ cipate. We also need someone to grow a supply of old ' Florentina' to meet the demands of herb fanciers who want to raise their own orris root! We receive a steady stream of requests for this oldie, without being able to recommend a satisfactory source.

Many scraps of information have come our way concerning the new interest in inter­ series hybrids among the beardless groups. An absolutely eye- catching Cal-Sibe in .. orange and purple was exhibited at our Seattle show, and I heard that the ·best plicata­ like blue and white Cal-Sibe yet appeared at the Tacoma show. There is at least one project in this country now to develop a yellow-flowered Japanese iris using tetra­ ploid I. pseudacoPus. 'I.he "Cal-sata' douglasiana-biglumis (ensata) hybrids mentioned on p. 888 of the last issue of SIGNA are particularly interesting, in that they may turn out to be an even better bet for continental climates than the Cal-Sibe group •••• who else among our members is going to check out this type oi cross?

As some of you may already kr.ow, the Seattle=Tacoma area will be hosting the national AIS convention in 1984. Species iris are to be a feature of certain of the display gardens, since so many kinds do well here, and some of the plan~iµgs will be going in this fall. Additional Sl)ecies will be plantP.d next year. So watch your AIS Bulletin for announcements as to wh~re and when to send species quests.

·Just to see where our SIGNA membership lives, I plotted us all on a blank map the other day. The membership as of Sept., 1981 stands at ·we have 40 overseas 1 members, nine in Canada and two in Alaska. In the U.S., California leads with 57 members, followed by Washington with 24, and Texas, Minnesota, Illinois and Penn­ sylvania with 10 each; and Oregon, Arizonia, Kansas, New York; Massachusetts and New Jersey with five or more apiece. A number of states have only one or two members; and Idaho? · Nevada, Wyoming, Colorado,. North and South Dakota, Iowa, Mississippi, 892

Florida, Vermont and New Hampshire have no SIGNA members at all. I have no idea how this would compare, proportionally, with a plot of AIS membership, but it strikes me as being skewed towards the west coast. There may be a reason for this, nearly 30 years ago, SIGNA was pr~ceded by a species round robin which had many of its members on the west coast. There is no reason , however~ why we should not have members in all 50 states, and in more provinces of Canada - there are Iris species suitable for every kind of soil and climate. So keep passing the word to your friends - lets fill in some of those blank spots!

Best wishes for a winter favorable to species irises, and good seed germination next springl

EDI'IORIAL (X)[i:MENTS Blw.c.e. 1Ucluvr.d6 on

. With this issue you are getting the index to SIGNA 20,21 & 22, thanks to Roy Davidson's work in comp5.ling it, as well as the index to the AIS bulletins from 100 r- 235 . Many thanks Roy, for this considerable work which I am sure will prove useful to searchers of species information.

Mrs. Blanco White kindly sent me a copy of the new BIS index to their early Year Books from the beginning in 1924 to 1939. This is not limited to species, for which the British are justly famous, but consists of two indexes, one of the authors, listing the Year Book and page number of their writings, and the second half an index of named Irises, 58 pages alone for this and perhaps close to 3000 varieties. If you are looking for an old name it may well be found here.

Mrs. White also asked me to include a request for sources of both old iris varieties and noteworthy old iris gardens. There is a new organization being formed in England called the NATIONAL COMMISSION FOR CONSERVING PLANTS AND GARDENS. Mrs. White is trying to find the iris portion for them. Her address is 72 South Hill Park, ~ondon NW# 2 SN, England. I Brian Mathew , of Kew Gardens, has written a new book of 176 pages dealing with the iris species, which is being distributed by BATSFORD LTD., 4 Fitzhardinge St., London, WlH OAfl, England, at the reduced price of b 15.00 to our members. They have a descriptive pamplet, which I was unable to obtain in t ime to distribute with this issue, but expect to have it for the spring SIGNA. If sounds like a good ~ook for ~nyone keen on species iris, although a bit costly at close to $30.00 U.S.

I was pleased to get the article on the species iris garden at the DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS from Mr . Panayoti Callas. It came at the last minute and involved some re­ ~rranging of this issue to accomodate it, but is so timely with the AIS convention ,there next spring. The garden is one acre and the plan shows you how much variety of growing conditions can be located in such a small area. This is the type of display ,, or point of interest we were requesting information on or sources and locations in our last issue for the benefit of travelling species irisarians. So far it is the only item sent in. Are there no other points of interest in the U.S.? I have located some in New Zealand though and will be seeing them this coming November.

1he New Zealand Iris Society's bulletin comes here and this last i;~sue, //94, June i981, has well over half its contents devoted to iris species articles_ and remember there is a Species Iris Society in N.Z . which also publish a bulletin. Their con­ vention starts Oct. 30 and runs for three days in the Hawkes Bay area. "'********* 893

VARIATION IN IRIS PLANIFOLIA /.Ug el. S eJw.i.c. e.

What might be felt to be a l imitation in species descriptions is that although it may be, as it is put on page 7· .of the introduction to THE IRIS SPECIES MANUEL , that "such descriptions are -written to circumscribe a population, not an individual, thus allowing for the minor ·variations that we can easily observe within the pop­ ulation"; they do not indicate the degree of variation that can be accepted, nor if variation of any notable degree is to be encountered there.

When one gets beyond the population from which the species description was made one may be without guidence of any sort.

This being so I was totally unprepared for the extreme variability I found in a small area of the occurrence of Iris planifoUa Ascherson. Dykes did write of variation within this species (THE GENUS IRIS p.194), but with regard to colour and marking only.

The Guadiaro river in southern rises near Mt . Torrecilla and, after a course of about 50 miles, reaches the sea between Estepona and Gibraltar. '!he area I visited is near the small but noted town of Ronda and is situated on the right bank of the river, which here runs roughly south-west, and occupies an area of probably rather less than one square mile. It consists of a flat valley bottom more or less heavily cultivated and the southern slopes of what is not so much a range of low mountains as the edge of the higher ground through which,the river cuts.

From the valley floor at 1500 ft this slope r ises to crests of over 2600 ft, dropping beyond by about 150 ft. 1he lower slopes are cultivated with the exception of the areas around the courses of several small seasonal streams. Higher up the ploughed land is replaced by olive-groves and above is steep or rocky uncultivated land. At the south-west end the rocky slopes draw in as a cliff above the river, andthis, beyond the last olives ·formed the extremity cf my area. The month was Ja~uary, the weather spring-like and the irises grew all around.

In the valley I. planifoUa seems to be a weed of old disturbed ground, road verges, field edges, dry ditches, rail way embankments and the like, and even on the edges of the pennanent way. It does not usually spread far into the olive groves or scrubland. It used, I was told, to be much more plentiful in this area than now, the increasing use of tractors and deep ploughing with a vastly extended area under cultivation would be responsible for a drastic reduction in numbers.

Higher up growing among rocks and thin scrub and on steeper slopes, its occurr­ ance is still spasmodic though in places it grew thickly enough to colour the ground from a distance. Although it does not grow on the south side of the valley I. pZanifoZia is by no means limited to places where it has full exposure to the sun; it seems to .have a liking for rather steep and unstable and loose slopes~ often of the most doubtful aspect, even close to north facing. Curiously I seemed to notice that it favoured situations where the late afternoon sun was removed from it, or struck it only obliquely; this does not seem to make sense for such a plant.

The predominent colour is a bluish violet, pale to quite dark and usually blotched or veined on a paler ground but an extraordinary variety of shades and patterns occurs. A white zone around the median ridge i s I think always present in some form but may be much broken-up or isolated f rom the centre in places by a band of the violet colouration. The median ridge itself may be from pale-yellow to orange, darker at the. base of the blade and dotted finely with brown-purple in the haft, it nearly always conspicuously formed as well as distinctly marked, and i n a number of cases was so elevated above the surrounding blade and so sharply tipped that it could certainly only be described as a cr est. The blade of the fall is usually mo r e or less clearly veined on a paler ground and these veins are often coarse and much broken to form blotches of colour. It is quite frequently the white zone which spreads out into the blade to form the ground colour ~ usually becoming tinged with blue when it does so.

The darker coloured flowers , particularly where the colour is comparatively unbroken, ,may be purple-veined ra_ther than blue-violet and some purple suffusion is not uncommon. The style arms ·are rarely darker than the falls, but often darker t han the small standards.

Size of all the parts varies widely. The height above the ground to the tip of the style-crest was between just over 3in and 7½in, but I think that in this area at any rate ;i.t rarely exceeds 6in. Altitude in the narrow range which I, covered seems to make no difference but exposure may have more effect.

11 Dykes mentions a short s temi, or rather of a "very short stem , entirely hidden by the leaves; but, at l east in all the plants I examined I . planifolia is stemless at flowering time, the ovary sitting on top of the bulb .

, The shortest perianth tube that I found -was just under 3in. long, some two- thirds of this being underground. The longest was an amazing lO½in. on a bulb which had been ploughed in on the edge of a field, this plant showed no sign of being un­ ~ypical above ground.

The flowers are often purple flushed on the underside of the falls and this colour, spreading onto the tube continues up to about three- quarters of the way down though becoming very faint below the point where it is enclosed by the spathes. The aver age length of tube might be around 6in. and there is a slight but noticable Fhickening about ½in. from the top.

The standards are held horizontally and vary in length f rom little over half an inch to about l¼;in. , and in width from thre~sixteent hs of an inch to over half an f nch, with long hafts which are often, perhaps usually, canaliculate.

Th~ falls are usually more or less emarginate but examples with rounded tips are not uncommon . The wings on the hafts of the falls may be very , accentuated or· as good as non- existant. ·Th ere seems to be a tendency in every l arge ~roup of plants for there to be a graduation from rather narrow falled plants (four­ fifths of an inch or so) flaring with rounded tips and nearly wingless hafts, to reflexed wide falled plants (possibly up to an incn and a quarter) with emarginate tips and large wings to the hafts. There are exceptions, of course, to tl1is , but nearly always you will find a flaring habit is combined with narrow falls with l ess notched tips .

The rare white form does not grow her€.; but to the south of Ronda they can be found and I was taken to see some specimens. Quite breathtaking , but on, close examination not quite the "pure white" of literature. All had some slight suspicion of blue veining on the wings of the hafts and 'a suffusion at the top of the perianth tube. ********** 895

MORE ON FRAGRANT IRISES Je.a.n Will

If , after reading· about irises as allergens following at the conclusion of this article, you still want to make you own perfume from orris root, you can find the proper information in SCENTED FLORA OF THE WORLD by Roy Genders. Robert Hale Ltd., London; St. Martin's Press N,Y ., 1977. His list of irises (with their descriptions) is a long. one. We've added a few items from other sources.

I. foetidissima: Leaves and roots, roast beef. I . graminea: Ripe plums (also apricots or ripe peaches) 11 I. p'seudacorus: "Scented flowers • "From the dried rhizomatous roots a delicately scented essential oil is obtained which at one time was used to adulterate oil of Aoorus oaZamus." (Hence the specific name, literally false sweet-flag). I . ruthenioa: Scented like I. retioutata (violets). I. 'J:aempferi: Sweet violet frangance (I could not detect any in my wild type). 11 I. Zaevigata: and .varieties, "sweetly scented • I. unguicularis: "Fragrance like that of the double primrose, 'Marie Crousse'." (Frequently spoken of as violet-scented, and certainly one of the most fragrant of irises) . I . ba:PnWT1ae: · "Delicious, sweet lemony scent of lily of the vall ey." (Dykes says, "very noticable in a warm atmosphere.") I . retiouZata: Violet perfmue. I. vartani: Almonds . I . bakeriana: Viol e ts. I . danfordiae: "softly sweet" (Dykes says, not noticable). I. histroides: "soft, sweet". I . kolpakowskina: "fragrant" I. hocgiana: Rose scented. I . biZiottii: Rich, fruity perfume. I. kashmiriana: "very richly scented of orange". I . sambucina: "the Elder scented iris". I. persioa: "prom.meed violet perfume". I. sindjarensis: Vanilla.

Of the Xiphiums , Genders says neither the English nor the Dutch are scented, while the Spanish are. I. jwzcea itself has "intense perfume", which may have been passed to the Spanish. I . xiphiun is said to have "some fragrance", but not as pronounced as in I . junoea. KING OF TIIE BLUES has a sweet violet fragrance; FRED­ ERICKA (white) and YELLOW PEARL are also scented. (I can vouch for KING OF THE BLUES as fragrant. JGW).

I. paUida, the author quotes the herbalist Gerard--"the flowers do smell exceeding sweet, much like the orange flower." but says that to some the perfume is closer to vanilla, or civet; he agrees with Gerard, that the scent is orange. I . fZorentina is also famous for its fragrance.

The list of tall bearded, mostly older varieties, are variously characterized, 11 as "sweetly scented } "orange scented", and "lily of the valley scented:. ROSE VIOLET (couldn't find it in the AIS checklists) is described as having a gardenia scent. The author remarks that there are few scented dwarfs, and mentions MAUVE 11 MIST (Hillson 1943) as having "pronounced sweet perf\.lllle •

I . tenuifolia is mentioned as being "fragrant" in vol. 5, FLORA EUROPEA, 1980. I. arenaria and I. aphyZla can be added to the list, from THE SCENTED GARDEN, Eleanor Sinclair Rohde, Medici Society, London 1931 . 896

From personal experience I can vouch for I. macrosiphon as being fragrant, among the Californicae, and among my old bearded varie ties the I . chamaeiris Hybrid LE PERLE has lily of the valley fragrance, and violet A.R:CHEVEQUE is grapey. I. missouriensis from some localities is reported as smelling like cigarette lighter fluid.

As the flowering seasen progr~sses, we hope our members will help us verify these fragrances, ·and search out others--for surely fragrance is a · trait that we would do well to encourge in our favorit~ flower .

Notes from BOTANICAL DERl·iATOLOGY , PLANTS INJURIOUS TO THE SKIN John Mi t chell & Arthur Rook, Greenglass, Vancouver, B.C . , 1979. pp 353- 355

Diascorides noted as early as the 1st century' AD that "beating iris plants (species?) caused sneezing.

Many instances of dermatitis from Orris root* and products derived from it are found in medical literature. Victims included sales girls, barbers, and pharmac­ eutical chemists who haqdled orrir root in .their.work, as well as users of 'violet 7 water , a violet scented orris root solution s ubstituted for real violet perfume. Dentrifices containing -orris root occasionally caused mouth problems . Besides these cases of skin eruptions, orris root (powder?) ~s reported as causing asthma.

"Orris root in raw fonn, which formerly accounted for many allergic reactions, µas been replaced by a refined orris root oil which is considered to be non-reactive (Burks? 1961)". '

Other species mentioned as causing dermatitis : I . pseudacorus (seed, l eaf); I. germaniaa; I. susiana (or I. chaZced.onica)--Gerard reported in 1636 that the crushed root is irritant to the skin. I. versicolor (roots and other parts) . * Dried of I. fl,orentina & I. paZZida. \Also spelled I. fl,orentine) .

Genders' SCENTED FLORA OF THE WORLD (see the article preceeding this) also provides an answer to the question about Thutmose III (SIGNA p . 718). Of I . fl,orentina. (erroniousl y listed among the beardless irises instead of the bearded) he says: "The Florentl.ne iris is oni= of the oldes·t plants in cultivation. It was introduced into Egypt in 1500 B. C. by Thutmose III? and on the walls of his temple f!lt Karnak the flowers are depicted exactly as they appear today."

From FLOWERS AND FOLKLORE FROM FAR KOREA Lorence-Hedleston Crane, 1951 ? Reprinted 1969, Seoul, Korea . :, . #44, 45 , Plate VII, Iris rossii, Baker; Manxhurian Iris . April.

nManchur-ian Iris. is foUI].d on tl?-e mountains, often in the clefts of the rocks. A Korean beauty. note s_~ys v If you.>1as~ your hair in Iris water in June, it will grow very long' • The roots of the Iris are used for scrubbing pots and pans. They are also a tonic,· especially r-ecomrended for the feeble-minded. The dried stems are ground and used as an insect powder ." The plate shows three small flowers, about l½" across, with paddle-shaped standards. ********** 897

IRIS SUBGENUS SCORPIRIS : FLORA IRANICA (review) Roy Va.v-u:Uon

Of the forty-five species of the genus Iris found within the geographic area treated in FLORA IRANICA (Persia, Afghanistan, part of Wes t Pakistan, northern Irag, Azerbaijan and Turkestan) no less than twenty-two are members of the subgenus Scor­ piris, which we know familiarly as the Junos. Al though not of major importance at the pre~ent time in the world of western horticulture, there is considerable future for a developing interest, in that seeds and are becoming available through recent recollection of the older species as well as of newly described ones, grown to increase in cultivation.

In this treatment Mathew and Wendelbo accord twenty-four taxa (two are sub­ species) and a few are described as frankly "doubtful" as to distinction. Of them, eighteen are said_. to be of endemic distribution, a few locally abundant as such, and only the remaining six are disposed widely; the majority are from dry stony places, most at mid-elevations i.n the open or in only slightly shaded cover. A number of° additional species not here treated are found only further to the north in Russian territory. This treatment (issued October 1975) includes six newly desigated taxa which were enumerated in SIGNA p. 489, although not discussed there.

The authors accord two sections to the subgenus, the first called Juno (type I. persica) and state "There is a great diversity of characters within this section. With better knowledce of all the characters of all the species, it is possible that it will have to be split. We have •••• refrained •• •• because it is felt that the relat­ ionships between these and isolated species is not clearly understood. The species are herein mainly arranged according to w!1ether they have a stem or not and whether the claw of the falls is winged or cot." Included are:

I. cya"logZossa which "occupies an isolated position •• • • it has a branched, well- developed steia, an uncrested fall • ••• and well developed standards." The is also distinct fron all ot hers, ~sis also the wet meadow habitat. "The above mentioned characters which are shared with other members of Subgenus Iris suggest (it) may be a pricltive m0 ii'ber of an otherwise advanced group of Scorpiris." It has shown promising horticultu~~l cerit in England, Holland and Sweden, and is definitely of easier cultivation than othera of its group.

I. aitchisonii shares with the above a usually moist habitat on moist grassy slopes. I. miarog"lossa ("Salang Blue" of RHS) is stated to be "a very characteristic species which ~ee:::is to have an isolated position. 11 I. aucheri (synonym3: I. siruijarensis, I . assyriaca) of wide general distribution I. oaucasiaa. ic anoth~r that ~s widespread (treated as inclusive of I. atropotana.). I. pseudoaau.casica is al3o widely dist ributed; those from Persia have usually been misidentified as I. cav..caeica, but are distinguished by the shape of the iall, much wider at the claw than on the blade. I. stoaksii is locally abt.:.ndent in Baluchistan. I. odontost;y"la seems allied to both stoaksii and to pwtytera; not ~ell understo~d. I. persioa., so l ong in c t:J.ti..v~~io::i 2nd ye t co c.:c:s:~c; w:!. th a broad distribution, it is here taken to include II. stenophyZZa, ta:u:ri and sieherna as colour forms. The specimen by this t?.arae in tha Linnaean Herbarium is however, I. p"lanifoUa, also known as I . a"latc.. I. hymenospatha.' and its ssp. Zeptonev.:ra, of general distribution in Persia, are close to, but separate from I. persiaa in the characters of the spathe and by the absence of a median crest. From a~ucasi oa they differ in a much longer perientl1 tube. I . · fosterana Regel 1 s I . oauoaswa var. bioolor is locally abundant over a limited area of the dry steppes of Persia/Afghanistan. I. buahq.rioa, ~f which the sel f-coloured golden form has long been in cultivation as I. orahi oides., a distinctly different plant of E. Bok.hara with winged claw. True I. buahariaa is wingless and occurs in bitone and self coloured flowers . It is noted that commercial sources provide a plant· larger in all its parts than typical.

The remaining nine species are here related within Section Physocaulon (type I~ d.refXJ,nophyZZa)wwhich must be considered advanced due to the peculiar feature of the persistants tuberlike base of the stem, which becomes an important part of the bulb. " The first four of these form a perfectly natural group 9 to which the other five are similar in certain respects, although not perfectly known as yet. The arillate seed is though to possibly be a distinguishing character of this section, although seeds of all the species have not as yet been studied comparatively. Included are:

I. dx>epanophyUa and its ssp. ohlorotioa, which is only distinguished by its greenish flowers and occurrence in the eastern portion of tlle range, in Afghanistan. The typical flower is yellow and is found in eastern Persia, often on loess hills. Leaf margins are minutely ciliate. I. kopetdagensis is distinct in the living state from the above, generally smaller in Afghanistan, and with the blade of fall broader; the claw canal­ iculate (turned upwards) . I . xanthoohZora is from from the dryish subalpine zone of NE Afghanistan; closely related to I . kopetdagensis. I. parphyroohrysa ("Shibar Gold" or "Shiber Bronze0 of RHS) is another of these not

throughly known as yet 5 altllough represented by considerable Afghanistan material. I. doabensis ("Doab Gold" of tlle BIS Year Book, 1968) appears to be most distinct. I rosenbaohiana (here taken to include I . niaoZai~ a Russian form~ and Purse's nearly white 8206, tentatively called I. baldsahuanioa). This is a complex group. I. aabuliaa of which not a gr eat deal is known beyond the dried specimens and photos. I. pZatytera, likewise not well known; extends easbvard into West Pakistan. I. wendBZboi and I. oarterorum, botll needing further observation, although found at considerable distances apart in nature, and with intervening mountain ranges, may prove to be merely geographical races of the same species differing mainly in colour, say the authors. The first is frequent to dry sandy hills.

Synonymous names are not altogether cited here; it being understood that Juno, Xiphion and Iris are used rather interchangeably. The authors in the original have discussed the horticultural aspects of various taxa when known, thus making the treatment of both horticultural and botanical merit. Of greater value are the superb colour reproductions, illustrating all the species at least onces wi~h exposures of both indigenous and cultivated iris) the former sometimes· showing overviews of natural populations, all told giving more information on their beauty, individuality·artd diversity than any words could possibly convey. ***** 899 mrs In FLORA EUROPAEA, v. 5, Cambridge 1980 A Review by Roy Vav--i..cUon

Before leveling what might be undue criticism of name changes, we must give very careful study to this work of Webb and Chater, fairly asking "Does this treatmen~ not lend a greater understanding of Iris?"

In order to make that evaluation, most of us will need to brush up on some of the terms, i.e., stock, invest, patent, iso-bilateral, and we must remember recent SIGNA discusions of some of the synonymy that I. 7,atifoUa = I. xiphioides; I. hwnilis of I-fax Bieberstein; I. hwniZis Georgi = I . arenaria and I. flavissima to- gether. Thus we come to the current changes to which horticulturists in general will doubtlessly raise a great collective howl.

For some time we have been hopefully anticipating some further clarification, particularly in regard to the European pogonirises, whose cytological studies have lent such a mass of fresh evidence since the time of Dykes' 1913 monographic study laid before us such a "picture" of the genus Iris, a multi-faceteq. conglomerate we do not wish to see decimated. It is quite possible that this only slightly revised impression of that picture may be precisely what was needed. · And yet if it should be found so, we cannot expect everything as it was before; we cannot tamper with one part of the genus without affecting something else, and we must accustom ourselves to acceptance of certain inconvenient changes of names as being part of the logic represented.

For example·, among the 40 chromosome amphidiploid pogonirises found throughout southwestern Europe we have heretofore had a most confusing situation, one of the thorniest nests of misunderstanding. We ought not whine that they all now be called Lamarck's 1789 binomial Iris Zutesoens~ with two subspecies, the first including all the varients except those defined by Brotrero as I. subbifl,om, and the second precisely those, as ssp.subbiflora. The cost of this is the submergence of what we've fondly acknowledged as I. c1u:unaeiris (as defined by Bertoloni) into I. 'lutescens ssp • .iutescens. Certainly in horticulture this will always be known as I. chamaeiris. That is as it should be, In nature it has become an exceedingly rare item, and in .horticulture it has been the bone to be picked and repicked . May it rest in peace.

The comparably short, unbranched pogoniris of southeat Europe are given to two species, based on the length of the tube (hypanthial-tube is here used for what we in America usually call the periant-tube.) I. reiohenbachii, with a shorter tube, is taken to include both diploid and polyploid forms (I. baZka.na, I. bosnioa, I. skorpiZii) while I . suaveo'lens with a longer tube includes I. rubromarginata. (For an unexplained reason I. me'lZita is given no mention whatsoever; purely an oversight?)

There will be those to quarrel over the ranking of I. attica as a subspecies of I. pwni'la while I. pseudopumi'la is given f ull species recognition.

As regards the other pogonirises, we must surely admire the restraint brought in disposing of such other thorny situations, although we might question the citation of some of the chromosomes counts (which surely were made on hybrid material.) Hybrids are explained, . and some introgressive situations as well, but no counts mentioned. I. ge:mzanica is included as perhaps a natural occurrence in the eastern Mediterranean, and to it is given the variety florentiria, while I. aZbicans is recognized as being a distinct species. I. morsica Ricci & Colasante 1975 is included as a very wide­ l eafed species similar to I. germanica but found in the wild state in the Appenines 900 of Italy, and seeming to bear some affinitfas with I. paUida ssp cengiaiti-i. I. iZZyrica Tomasini is discussed as an intermediate between the two subspecies of I. paZZida, but not formally included. It is possibly only ' an oversight that I. paZZida is not included as among the pogon species that have contributed importantly to garden bearded irises; number 22 is included in that citation, and that is I. albicans, whereas I . paZZida is nUiilber 23 .

The Spurias of Europe are taken as consisting of I. spuria with no less than four subspecies, spuria, maritima, ha.ZophiZa and och1•0Zeuca, while a fifth, ssp. notha from the Caucasus, has ~een mentioned as possibly found also in SE Russia. I. graminea and I • .pontica (formerly I. humilis of Bieberstein appear unencumbered with any variant or subspecifii:! members, and I. sistenisii has gained the subspecies I . bmndzae, sometimes appended to I. graminea by other authors.

In the discussion of I. unguioularis, do not find evidence to show any clearly distinct subentitiess those of , , Anatolia and Syria seemingly all bridged by intermediate forms. Escaped or naturalized irises included are I. trifl,ora Balbis, one of the 0nsata-bigZwnis-Zactes group f rom central Asian steppe lands established in Italy, and I. versiooZor in Britain (as also it is suggested I. spuria).

The authors, of cou=se, did not find the space to elucidate on many of their opinions and decisions. Perhaps we shall be hearing more from them, and meanwhile we can ponder ar.d appreciate the very great bulk they have given us.

Iris japonica and Angustine Henry in Western China

Dykes wrote of I . jcrponica that "for some reason this iris seems very reluctant to set seed, " and he recalled that Maxiwowiez had puzzled over never having seen capsules on seed of it in Japan. His attempts at artificial fertilization met with no success, . We know now that what we have is the sterile triploid from Japan and that somewher-e, perhaps in China, there is perhaps a normal diploid which should be fertile.

Records for the distribution of this species outside Japan would indicate that it is, or was, rather widespread in China. Among the curlier collections are those of Augustine Henry taken in the limestone gorges of the Ichang (Yangtze) River, near the city of I chang which was the terminus of river ~avigation and base of a bustling trade. There is the r~cord of the introduction of this iris from China prior to 1800 from one "Mr .E•.'ans of the India House" to Britain, but apparently it has all been lost long ago, or if any has survived it is anonymous and apparently seedless, and was not familiar to Dykes. The Curtis Botanical Magazine in 1797 depicted as Iris e!hinensis a plant from this sou-::-ce, clearly showing it to be the familiar subject as we know it from Japan :md now called I . japonie!a Thumberg 1794.

Augustine tlenry was a young Irisman des tined to be remembered for his r emarkable Chinese plant collections, although ne had no interest whatsoever in plants when he departed for a position \.Tith the Chinese Imperial Custom Service. He arrived at khang in the spring of 1882~ right in the heart of China and with considerable time on his hands. In the course of I:is duties he was to compile a report on medicinal plants, and so to correctly identify what passed through he asked Kew to assist. In due course he was to send off to them a thousand specimens from which ten new genera were identified. Sp-:.irred by this encoureeme:it he turned seriously to collecting and was dispatched by Kew during a leave from the custom service to collect widely. In

time this l ed to an offer to head a broar.!-based expedition 9 but he was weary of China, and the job fell to· E.H. Wilson. 901

Some of Henry's most important collections came from near at hand, the Ichang gorees a few miles up-river from his first position. Both I. japonica and the small one named in his honor I. hen:r'yi were found on these limes tone ledges. · In all, his collections were to yield about 500 species and no less than 25 genera new to science. He sent back no living material though some seeds were dispatched to Kew and the Arnold Arboret~; there is no record of iris as being among ·them. Henry l eft China on the last day of the last century.

'should this Chinese form of I. japoniaa ever be found again, it might prove to be the key to unlocking the puzzling mystery of self-sterility in these Chinese Evansia Irises, as well as to their inter-relationships. **********

~VANSIA LETTERS OF ELWOOD M:OLSEED, 1957-1962

Vating bac.k t.o May 1957 W-Uh an a.ppU.c.a;tion .to jo,i.n a.n l.JtM Mbin, -tlu,6 c.olL­ ILUponda.nc.e c.lWl.ied on u.nt.lt L>hoJc.ti.y be6M.e h-<.-6 cJw..efty !>ad death 06 canc.elt at age 28. Uwood lmew the. wil.d6fowe/t.,6 06 h,u., Mendocino Cot.m,ty 61Lom h,u., CJOungu:t da.y.6, and R.ateJt: .th!c.ough the 6Juend.61up 06 lu6 n.e)_,ghboM, V1r.. and Mtl..o. Bowman, 601c. whom he ga.lldened a6 a. .teen-age/l.p he .le.a1tne.d o0 thw 1r.ei..a-ti.0111.>lup6 .to at.hell. p.lan:t.6 06 a.the.IL 1::all.ni of, the woll..ld. 1.t WIU> ine.v.uab.le tha..t he become a. bota.nMh. Let;te/1.,6 begin W..Uh the ob.1.>eJz.va.ti.on of, w.ltdf,.lowe.lL J.Ju..6u and p1t.ogJz.e.61.> :to :thoL>e he 91Lew and .lateJt :to aftemp:t.,6 :to unde11.,6ta.n.d :the p,'Wvoc.ative L>:te!U.LU.y 06 :the Eva111.>ia6 he loved .60 well. Af. abou:t th..u, time VJt. Lenz had Jt.epoll.ted a. .6:t.u.d.en.t who «ttJ.> in.te1t­ e.1.>:ted in. -tlu,6 phenomenon, bu:t no:tlung -6eem.6 t.o have c.ome 06 d. Onf.y mu.ch £.ate/l. we Me .lea.Jt.ru.ng moJt.e :thlc.ou.gh .the. woJtk 06 VJt.. m.l6 in Eng.land.

A:t :the .time 06 :the 0-i.M:t. £.et;teJl.,6, Elwood WM a.t:tencU..ng San F!Uln.c-u.,c.o Sm.te on a. L>c.h.o.£.oJU>lup, a.nd he. .e.a:teJt .tll.a.n.1.>f,eM.ed :to BeJtke.le.y, whe.lle undeJt the. :tu:te.£.age 06 VJt.. Un.c.o.ln Co nA.tanc.t he Wll6 1>holtt1?..y doing advanced ta.bollatoJt.y wo1Lk. in 1> eveJta.£. 6.i.ei.d6.

26 June, 1957: We seldom get frost here a t Fort Bragg and our foggy summers seem to to suit the Evansia irises; japoniaa., confusa and ' Nada' just grow rank and are smothered in spring with flowers. I've always claimed japoniaa as my favorite among them though it can be a pest if it is not restricted in some way.

1 April, 1958: At home even the weekend ' Nada' knocked my eyes out; that huge triangular raised bed was a solid mass of flowers standing five feet, all frothy white with japonica a~ong the edge and lower.

30 April: ·'Darjeeling' has come along later than the others; it might be thought of as a japonioa on the taller stem of 'Nadav.

24 Augus t : As I am cleaning out the old l eaves, I've surprised to find that aonfusa is not one to run around everywhere as 'Nada' and japoniaa certainly do. · If you have aonfusa, you same as have 'Nadar except of course it does stay where you plant it, and though I 've favored japoniaa, it would be improved by a taller stalk. 'Darjeelingr approaches thi s, but somehow the flower just isn't quite as fine in closeup.

20 May, 1959 : Last year there was one bee-pod on aonfusa, probably to japoniaa pollen, but this year I cannot get a pod in it by anything I put on for some reason. I've now got a special plot right on the Berkeley campus where they can all be together. My current job as research lab assistant to the head ' of the -department gives me the set-up for anatomical work.

25 July, 1960: I've planning a special study of the Evansias to try to figure out their sterility pattern and probable relationships. (Are they really three or more species?) I have gotten lots of spont~neous (bee-set) pods on·japonica at the BC, where two years · ag

9 September: We get a lot of smelly green-rot of the pods in the fog of Fort Bragg's summer. I'm hoping that here in drier Berkel.ey this won't be a problem. Am anxiously wat~hing bee-pods on plants at both places, and of course I'm making ·dried vouchers of all the seeded plants to refer back to .if anything comes of the se~ci ,' ·and I abc,, have photographs. Will hope to get many ·more hand-crosses. Between the cytological ¥Ork and a national study I'll have plenty to keep me busy; mainly right now it is

the sectioning of roots1 stems, leaves, etc. 25 ~anuary, 1961: I. wattii is goi~g to bloom for the first time at home; this is . the plant from f.ngland. Here at the BC we have the seedlings raised_ from seed Les Hannibal got from Jean Stevens, and it will be interesti~ fto compare them. ? May, 1962: In addition to the seeds the bees set (for me) t.he harvest of this season (all now planted) includes the following from hand pollinations, all emasculated and protected of course, so that I can be reasonably certain they will be true as recorded: (japonica X wattii),(wattii x con.fusa),('Darjeeling': ('Nada' x self) x confusa) and ('Fairyland': ( japonica 'Uwodu' x confusa) x confusa.)

. 'There was ·no perceptible di.f£erence •be-tween the "original" 1,Jatf;1,i and the, UC f':eilings, .but this is only judging _frc-::1 outward appearances, not a reflection o_f (:"=:all differences. it may show. This seed record does not distinguish as to which l:ere from Fort Bragg pollinations ( the original wattii) and those at Berkeley, from D:e F seedlings. 2 (AU:hou.gh fuA M1.-t.e1te6.t ne.veJt ixtne.d, :the. ,UU-6 c.y.to.logy Wlt6 1.>e;t M.uie. 6otc. a. R.a...telt ;t,.i.me., and hAA -<.mme.d,i.a;te. wotc.k. became a. 1>.tudy o0 :the Meuc.a.n 1>heUfiloWe/L.6, .the ge.nu.6 ::-:::..,ridia, wh-i..ch he c.oUe.c.ted ,ln .the fi.leld 1.>e.ve/tal 1.>ummeltl.>, tlta.veU..ng M oM M Gu.a.tema.f.a. Mo-Ue.ed'1.> mon.091£.a.ph o0 the gen.u.6 Tigridia Wal.> pubwhe.d only po-0.thwnou.6£.y. fMm the ma.ny Eva.Mia. 1.>e.e.dU.n.9-6 gtLown, a. p.ta.n.u.n.g 06 c.on-6-ldeJz.a.ble c.ha!Un Wal.> et>:tab­ whed among .6tlc.e.amba.n!i tc.hodode.ndltoY'.l.> a.t the. bo.ta.ruc. gate.den. They 1.>e.em .to have. ate be.en lOJ.>t ,ln the. de.vv.d.a:tlon o0 a. {;,tood and the a0te,una:th dean.up whe.J'L .the. debw­ cf..og9ed 1.>bl.e.am ha.d .to be. dlte.dge.d. The. on.e. tc.eally buUv-ldual 1.>ee.dU.ng, a. .6ma.UeA luvc.ed wlih 1.>ome o 6 IUA 6Jue.ncl,¢ and -i6 now 1Leg-i6.te1ted 'El«x>od Mo.t6e.ed' ,0t fuA me.motc.y. Lt wcv., IUU6C.d 6Jtom .the. w.t CILOl.>-6 he. men.tioned a.nd qu.Ue UYU1Ccoun-tah£.y neveJL gJt.e.w :to mOll.e .than ha.lo .the 1.>.lze 01) the. ~theJl., w~ch, no. ma:t:teJl. what .the paJte.n,tag e., ate. ll.et:i embled o n.e. a.no.th.ell., and :the. p!UOJt hyblU..d6, 'Fa.,uc_y­ £.a.n.d', 'Nada' and 'VMj e.eU..n.g', and .tho-& e. We/Le fioJt a..U. .the. wotci.d mOJr.e 'Ja.powa..tt'. TheJl.e. -i6 mu.ch ye.t to be. le.atc.n.e.d heJte.. I ********** 903 TOPICAL SPECIES INDEX '. ..: .. ;·.. : .. ·To °34 Years of AIS Bulletins #10-235, Jan. 1946 to Oct. 1979 • J • • :-: + .. • •• • • • J ,, ,· . ·. .. Pll,epaAe.d by Roy Vav.id6on

Npte: Numbe:t>s afte_;r, the titles indicate fi;r,st the BuUetin numbe;r, and secoru:J..Zy the page numbez:_• . A *. indicated the;r,e is a pictu:!'e with the caoticZe. . - _ .. . .J • • . At The Species Level: 185,26: 186,80: 187,86: 192,112: 193,86: 196,45: 197, 93: 205F65: 21~,58: 216,61: 219,58: 220 ,41: 222,59: 224,35: 227,57: 230,64: Alphabetical Table of Species, Herrick' s 121,94: Antiques Anyone? (Christleib) 217 ,27: Antibiotics 141, 32: 180, 70 ~ Apogon Show in Oklahoma 211,37: Aril Irises 115, 60 & 63 : 169, 11: (Flesh) 171, 9: Arilpogons (=Arilbreds) 113~20: 120,24: (Mohr Hybrids) 121,20 (Mohrs) 124,48: (Ton Craig) 166,27: (Kerr) 174,84: (signal inheritance 176,26: (changes in concept) 185,56 (Kerr & Clarke) 194,93: (Jory) 216,32: (C.G. White) Awards Committee 128,79: 224s20: 232,67: (interspecific hybrids) Award Winners, beardless 221,23*: 224,20: Bibliography of Jris Literature 196 ,85-100: Bog Irises 109,59: Botanical Classification (see Classification) Bulletin, First Colour Cover 132: Californicae 100,70: 104 ,90: 105 , 24: 117 ,18: 144,39: 145,79: 150,62: 152,14: 156,49: 157 , 12: 158,52: (Riddle) 161 , 62: 182 , 27 : 185,48: (Lenz b;r,acteata hybrids) 216, 14*: 219 ,58 (Rosedown Strain) 229 , 38: (in the east) Cal-Sibe Hybrids 149,17: 152,31*: 168,99: (Lenz on morhpholQgy) Cell Sap, Acisity of Iris 161,32: Chromosome Nwnbers of the genus 140, 50: (Randolph & Mitra) Chromosome Pairing in Tetraploid TB 170,51: (Heinig & Randolph) Chromosome Research is Practical & Basic 157 , 25: (Warburton) Classification 107,68; 125 ,29: 126,63: 132,3 (Randolph) 132,5: (Lawrence) 133,15: 136,1: 137,60: 148,9 : 152,5: 213,26: 220,54: (medians) Color Classification 117 ,5 & 11: 118,70: 119,36: 207,89: (Manual) Composting 185,7: (in the bag) Cultivation, general 121 , 71: (bulbs & tubers) 128 , 12: (Japan) 128,30: (arils) 195,15: (proper) 234,85: 235,66-c9: Diploid 149,25: (variegata pattern) Doubleness 127 ,25*: 'Double Eagle' 233,67 (Louisians) Drought 146 , 75: (effects on western irises) Dwarf Bearded (Pumilae) 109,50: (first test garden) 109 , 70: (Classification) 117 ,30: 118,47: (cultivar lists) 118 , 64: Dtkes Medal 124,33*: 224 cover**: Embryo Culture 178,56: 187,90: 195,45: Endangered Spi:: cies 175,50: European Iris Tour 216, 16: (Warburton) Evansias 144,39 : Exhibits and Judging 184,46: Fleur de Luce 107,96: (History) Flight Lines connnenced 145 ,50: Foliage 113,89: (evaluation) 128 , 102: (variegated) Genetics 102 , 75: 109 ,46: 190,44: (Kidd) 193,65: (Kidd) Genus Iris, Facts & Fancies of Origin 138jl: (Horn) 904

Gerarde, Irises known to, in the 16th century 176,52*: Germination 123,111: (Doak) 148,58: (giberellic acid) 160.43: (stimul.) 162,55 : (converitial) 173,34 & 65: 179,27: (inhibitors. Jorgenson) 181,14: (review, Kidd) 183 ,60: (varied controls, Jorgenson) 194,58:(Japanese iris) 196,48 >(in pots) 206 ,33: (seed dormancy) 213,32: (Japanese iris) 222 ,36 : (by ~~e stars) 233,53: Handbook for Judges 129,101: 130,74: Hexagonae (Louisianas) 100,71: 101,11 : 103,74: 106,52**: (Reed) 108,45: (capsules*) 112,60t- : 113~67 (DeBaill award estab) 114,58 & 6B >(in Honduras) 115,71 : 117,53 & 56: 118,34* : 120,16: 122,62: 124 ,37 : 127,31: 157,72: 158,37 : 162 ,45 : 186, 19 & 23: (form*) & 32 & 36 ( tetraploid) 206, 67: (bibliography) 209,49: (cultivation) 214 , 7 (tetraploids*) 215,19: 222,54: (tetraploids) 231,63: (introgression) 233.67: (doubled) 234,55: (cultivation) 235,57: Hexapogon (seP. Rcgelia) Introgressive Hybridization 231,63:(Anderson, Hexapogonae) Irids 109 ,59: (Shilbe.. dichotoma) 146 , 75: (Gynandriris) & 76 (dichotoma) 193,109: (Hermodactylus) 198 ,54: (in various climates) 208,59 : (Dietes) 29: (Pardanthopsis, ((~ichotoma)) Iris names · li 7 ,60: 125, 29 : Iris that grow from bulbs 114 ,22: (Jan .deGraf) IriG as a hooby for me.n 108 ,58: Iris History 11'1-,46 } 118,89 (Lt. de Chavagnac, Jean Siret, Pal-tee) 151,6: a review of bull. #2) 155,67 >(British garden iris) 218,44 (l~gends) 227,58 : (in Breugel paintings) Irises of Southern U,. S . A. and Their Hybrids 106 ,57.** : (Reed) Iris species, general 101,52: 103,76: 108 ,30: 109,54 : 111,49 : 112,96 : 113,42: 117,36 & 46: 134,36: (England) 135,103: 184,43: (pogon) 196,70: Iris species, -indigenous European 136,26 > 155,5: 162 ,37: Iris species, indigenous to Czechoslovakia 156,69: Iris species in Japan 108 ,51 : 194,65: Iris species in Oklahoma 107,87: Iris species in Oregon gardens 208,74 : Iris species of Russia, in Cornell Herbarium 160 , 33 (longiscapa*) Iris species at Memphis 226,45: Iris aphyiZa 144,10: (pod*) 150,26: 'Amiguita9 216,15* : 'Arieltec' 144,42* : atrofusca 106,83* : attica 145 , 3 & 5* (alba) aucheri 156,72: auranitica 169,29*: aur-eonymphea 125 ,40*:· bosniaca 144,10* : bmcteata 173,34: bucharica 114,75 : 156,72*: buZZeya:na 166 ,17*: cham:1.eiris 138~41: (possible origin,Valette) 144, 10*: ' Count Pulaski1 234 .16*: cristata 156, 72-1;: 217, 72: (seed) 233 ,9* : cristata 'Alba' 193, 109 : danfordiae 17 4, 7 5: 'Darjeeling 1 decora 169 , 45*: 'Dorothea K. Williamson' 105,55*: dichotoma (Pardanthopsis dichotoma) 109,59: 146,76: douglasiana 100.40: 120,88: . 173,34: 905

Iris d:ragat 141,77: 'Elvie7 B. Page ' 197,76*: (flavissima X 'Blazon') Roberta 161 ,40 : fl,orentina 175,72~ foetidissima 105,81: (Capri) fotiosa 107,118: 127~21 : (Chowing) futva 106,56*: gatesii 120 , 29 : gracilipes 'Blue Rose 7 106,71*: & 81: giganticorulea 107 ,65**: 146,46: (Cameron Blues) haynei 154,24*: hexagona 106,52: 230,64: 'Hinges of Hades' 185,48: 'Holden Clough' 230,21*: 231,50: (seed) hoogiana 157* (cover) iberica 100,6: imbricata 105,79: 202,45: (Paul Cook) innominata 123,27: (propogation) japonica 113,58 (& hybrids, reports of seven growers) kwnaonensis 152,65: korolkowii 120,23*: 11 3,83* (var. violacea) laaustris 225,44*: 233,9*: ZongipetaZa (missoW'iensis) 203 ,49: longiscapa 160,3*: Zortetii 154, 24*: 169 : (cover) mar•iae 154,24*: meUita 181 ,84* 234 ,81: (inheritaI?,ce) 'Melodrama' 144 ,62*: missour·iensis 104,78: & 88 105,80: 107,15: 125,83: (alba) 144,39: 145 , 75: 152,27: 173 ,34: 200,87: 203,49: monieri 169.53: mu.nzii 134, 23: 'Nada' 107,28~ 108,114~ 110,42: 113,58*: (reports of seven growers) 'National Velvet' (='Edward SalbachO 114 ,22*: 156,17*: nazarena 154,24*: . nelsonii 150,105: (Abbeville Reds) 186 ,82: 10jai' 216,15*: 'Orchid Sprite' 103 (frontispiece**) '[XT.llida 230,67 (male sterile) 'Paltec' 118,89: 144 ,42*: 156,72*: 'Parthenope' 120, 27*: 'Peg Dabagh' 120,39*: 'Pink Haze 7 234,17*: 'Projenitor' 218,30: & 219,32: (Galyon & Warburton) prismatica 117.37*: ('Tullahoma') 224,43: pseudacorus 146,76: (escaped) 187,53 ('Fatima') 222,29*: p;871ila 147,47 (breeding uses) 231,37: (laced hybrids) reticulata 146, 75: (in ; surely Gynandriris)? 'Ripple Rock' 216,15*: X robusta 235, 78: :r>ubromaZ'ginata 144,10*: (pod) X sancti-syri 235,48: setosa 166,17 ('Alaska Blue'*) 'Snow Bounty' 234,17*: subbiflora 165 ~37: susiaria . 120, 23*: 906

Iris teatorwn 111,68·:c: (report from 20 growers) 112,64: ( 'Album' in Michigan) tena,x 149 , 17: ('Alba' ) tenuis 152,26: 'Thor' 120,31*: 'Trinkecor' 111,77: unguioularis lll,59*: 125,37?: 146,77: 191,83*: 228,34*: variegata 125,81*: verna 106,92: 156, 72 : versioolor 102,92: 104,88: 234,57: 235,43*: virg1.,m.,aa 10~,92~ 106,52: 118, 32*: 127, 13: 235,43*: & 47: (var. shrevei) ' White Swirl' 232,34: ' Zayantee' 179::41: Japan, seed distribution in 233,45 : (Fischer) Japanese Hana-Shobu 119::16*: (Payne?) 150,46: 154 ,47 : (Marhigo) 156,84; (lime tolerant) 158,87: (registration of Care Strain) 169 , 35: (floral types) 180,54: & 58 : 195,so: (lendscape planting) 215,11*: (in pots) 219,28: & 30: 223,20: (tetraploid) 233,73: (reblooming) 234,54: (cultivation) Juno 114 , 7 r; : 12 2 , 6 7 : Landscape value 102 ,93: 122,31: (colour) 109 , 67 : (using white) 170,12: 219,41: Leaf stomata 179.47: 186,52.: Lines of aJvice to c:n Iris Lover 's Wife, peom · 10 7 , 118: Longipetalae 146,76: li;.7,13*: 155,59: 182, 29: Median bea~ded 117,77: (Randolph & Heinig) 119,58: (Cook TB #10942 X pmnila) 122,76: (Doug~~s Lilliputs) 123,90: (cytology) 127,89: (Kleinsorge) 140,16*: (MTB) 144, 10*: 145, 3* : (cytogenetics) · 14 7 ,40: (Hager) 220, 20: Mildew on s eeds 197,98: Mulches, Effect on Bearded Iris 192 :: 105 : 194,25: (sawdust) 199,54: (in Mississipp~) Native Plant Societies & Conservation 182,26: O~~o~yclus 120,19: 154,24*: (Hoog on culture) 232~29* : (Osborne) o~copogons (see Arilpogons) Packing for shipment 226,85: Philatalics 188,69*= PLo toperiod.isll 170, 31: (McGarvey) Pl.. ~nt Physiology 190 ,4L~: (Viemeyer) Pests and Disear-ec? Genzral 144,39: & 79 : 148,70: 165,15 : 172,35: (bibliography) 180,99 : (in W. Va .) 201? (pros and cons of spraying) Bacterial Lead Blight 105,53: 118,84: (new Zealand) 207 , 24 : Borers 105,64: 113,10: 157 , 55: (& soft rot) 195,57: 214,61: 216,44: 213,67: Botrytis 186,84: 197 , 86: 204 ,35*: Leaf Spot 113,10: 133,42: 153,16: 217 , 33 : Mustard Seed Fung~s 206,65: Nematodes 137 ,12*: & 16 : (scorch) 195,41" (&marigolds) Pineappling 106,22:. 125,47: Pod Dorer 214,62: Rust 201,65 : 204,32: Sco~ch 136,66 13$,53: 142,49: 195 , 26: 204 ,21 : 212,85: (bactericine) Soft Rot 133 ,42: l/;.l,32: (antibiotics) 146.67: 164,58: Virus 149,12*: 205,27~ 226 , 68: (epigenin) 226,69 : (Britain) Public Gardens 104,42: (general) 192,42: (Ketchum) &49: (U . of Calif., Berkeley) & 53: (U . of Wash . Arboretum, Seattle) Ll,.6,17: & 148,54: (Cedarbrook) 113,*: 129,16: 192,50: & 212 , 59: (Presby) 15~~35: (Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Garden) Radiat ion of seeds 142,68: Regelias (Hex3pogons) 120,19: 157,7: Regeliocyclus Hybrids 120,19: Registration of S8lected Clones of Iris Species 165,65: (Lenz) . 907

Remontancy 121,53: 185, 31: 231 , 42: (symposium summary) 232,26: 239,49: 234,79: Reticulatas 114, 75: 121,72: 132,48: 146,77: 156,72: 178,45 REVIEWS: Californicae, Natural Hybridization in - Lenz 157,78: (E. Anderson) Californicae, Revisions of - Lenz lieineg Genetics of Flowering Plants~ Grant 22,57 (Kidd) Genus Iris - Rodionenko 165,9 : (announced) 166,78: (reviewed by Dress) Genus Iris, Its Pigments & Chromosomes - Gardner 160,66: (Warburton) Guide to Pacific Coast Irises - Cohen 192,118: (Davidson) Hybridizing for Everyone - Vallette 164,94: (McGarvey) In Search of the Species - Randolph 165 , 27: (Gantz) Iris nelsonii - Randolph 186,82: (Foret) Irises - Randall 186, 82: (Gunther) Japanese Iris - Kuribyash"i & Hirao 208,36: (Gunther) Negative Evidence introgression/Stability La. Iris - Randolph et al 186,83: (Foret) Robina 112,113: (Robin's Roost began) 131,27: (PCI) 149 , 117: (Field trips) Scientific Connnittee reports 100,44: 105,5: 121,49: 136,26: 140,24: 144 , 39: 155,76: 164,90: 176,95: (pogon cytology) Sibiricae 163,51: (pink) 175,109 : (small) 177 , 68: 197,32: (tetraploid) 201,66: (in mild climates) 202,65: 204,33: (abroad) 206,68: 208 ,62: 213,52: (tetra­ ploid) 215,10 : 219,20*: 222,45: 233,20: (tetraploid) 227 ,54: 229,39: (alkalinity) 233,61: (ensatin) 233,73: (rebloom) Subsection Chrysographes 202,41 : (clonal listing) 226,70: (Lenz reciassification) Societies : AIS & Sections 191,72: (history) 128, 33 : (Aril society formed) 117,105: (Dwarf and Siberian clubs posed) 121,47: (report Dwarf Committee) 137 , 21: (Intermediate Club formed) 110,62:(Soc. for La. Iris) 187 .84: (Rebloom.ing Society) 161,65 : (Riberian Club formed) 183,55: & 185,26: (Species Group formed) 129,20: (Spuria Club) 125,68: Table Iris) Belgian Society 234,,59: British Society 108 , 115: 128 , 50 : (renamed) French Society 157,40: 231 , 11: (Orleans Symposium) Italian Premio Firenze 136,49: 146, 75: (Florence Symposiu, ) 170,27: 182,20: 183,58: Pruhonice International Symposium 213,47: 215,50: (reported) World List of Iris Societies 235,71: (as of 1979) Species Committee Report 112,98: (from 27 growers) Species Gallery 233,9*: (aristata & laoustris) 235 , 43*: (versiaolor & virginiaa) SP.uriae species intercrossed 246,78: 148,46: 150,103: Spuriae 118,59*: 125,22: (Nies) 141,36: (in S. Cal.) 150,108: (genetics) 168,37: (lenz) 169,53*: (Lenz", chromosomes, map) 173,37 : (for cold climes) 178,47: (breeding history) 178,84: (dwarf) 212,81: 215,57: 226,48: (Minnesota) 226,49: (Missouri) 226,50: (Colorado) 226,51: (Turkey Yellow) 232,38; Sterility 144,39: Tall Bearded (Elatae) 103, 31: 113 , 17 : (N.Z. ?) 123,99: (three kinds of white) Tangerine beard 123,109: Test Gardens 102,37: 103,22: 130,21 : (Wister) 145 , 75: (natives, Seattle) 148,69: 192,125: (nstional test gardens discontinued) Tissue culture of Tall bearded 223, 63: Weed control 209,44; 214,40: 220,29 (comprehensive) 235,70 What Every Iris Grower Should Know 192,56: Wide crosses 144, 42*: (Ariel tee, Royal Californian) 148 ,46: (spurias) 149,117: (Cal-Sibes) 152,31*: (Cal-Sibes) 165 , 47 : (Spuria X Hexagonae) 203,60*: (Cal-Sibes) 224,43: (Cal-Sibe F ) 230,64: (partial list) Xiphiums 114,2: 146,77 (Blue Ribbon)2 ED: See note that foUows on the next page. 908

Tlil6 ,i/2 ,fo no way a c.omple.te. -<.n.dex o 6 the buUe.:ti..1u 1 nM. e.ve.n o 6 e.veJLg ne.6 e1te.nc.e to 1.>pe.e,i.e1.> ma.teJvi..al. Eac.h o 6 ;the e.n;t4le1.> hictu.de.d WM 6e.U: .to have. 1.>ome. bw.e. neoeJLe.nc.e value .to :th0.6 e. -<.n:tell.e6:te.d -<.n au e6, pall.tic.ui.aJz.ly :the. beaJLde.e1.>1.> 1.>oltt.6. I:t -l6 oo c.obtclden.ce tha.:t wlth buUet.ln #JOO Ge.d.de6 Vougla.6 be.came. Ml>Oua:te.d wlth the buli.e.tin, and C.0 nt:,lnu.e.d -<-11. .the. ca.pa.e,i.:ty On ed-<.toJL OJL a6 .6 ,i.h;ta_n;t oOIL a numb eJl. 0 0 fj e.a/1/2 s w-Uh many a1.>1.>-U:ta.n:t6 . J. A.tr.;t.huJL Neb.ion PW Ecunge/l. and Ann Va1.>c.h ha.ve. 0o.U.owe.d in the e.d-Uoft-<..al p0.6-U-<.on. An Mte/U/21, incUc.a.te1.> a.n illU6.tJz.a..;t.,i.on and a. double. M.tell.,i.hk. a. c.olouJLe.d one.,. -<-none.qu.e.n:t .though .the.y Me.. Fe.bnu.a.ny 20, 19 80 B. Le.Roy Vavlcl6on. **********

ERRATA AND ADDENDA SIGNA 23? 24, 25, pp. 717-858

P• 733 Contrast this florid flight of fantasy, so characteristic of Farrer, with the actual field notes as recorded the species in Kansu, p. 849. p. 741 Robertson's letter of July, 1978, has a follow-up report, bottom p . 852 p. 746 See also p.813 and the omission noted on p. 846 p. 762 Bottom. · This cannot surely intend that I . foetidissima is natural to W. China! p . 763 Line 20. It is ordinarily considered that the pale yellow is the common colour of I. pseudacorus., not as here stated, the golden one. p. 803 Of course "chamaeiris" means "iris -on-the-ground". Incidentally the new Flora Europaea interpretation of the pogonirises sumerges this along with all the other 40 chromosome amphidiploid species into Iris Zutescens, Lamarck 1789, the earliest name applied to any of them; unfortunately this also includes the submergence of I. chamaeiris; a second subspecies is made of I. subbi /Zora. p . 810 Dr. Stillman Berry's catalogs do not disclose the origin of the plant he introduced as 'Uwodu1 but they do confirm the spelling. He offered other form, 'Ledger' and three more, one of them described as pale blue, probably the plant Edith Cleaves rescued from a cemetary dump many years later. p. 850 Recounting this old record might remind us, now that China is opening up to travel, that there are still undescribed irises out there. Herbarium material exists and some further collections will surely bring further facts and some seed. ********** CULTIVATION OF IRIS ARENARIA

Don't forget that I. arenaria is a Regelia, and thus may die back in sunnner . It should be transplan~ed every two years as it is a surface feeder and the rhizomes increase very fast, thus depleting the soil in a very short time. I put it in a well-drained, sunny location in sandy soil with plenty of compost and well-rotted manure mixed in. If the soil is not naturally sandy, put about an inch of sand under it with the planted directly on top. Its name, arenaria, means "sand iris", showing its need for sand •. APticZe originally by Grace Guenther., Iowa, and was reprinted'from the A.I.S. BuZZ. 140, Jan. 1956. Submitted to SIGNA by Roy Davidson. 909

LETTERS

A Kew copy of J .G. Bakerirs "Irideae" - or>iginaUy the perisonai aopy of Baker himself - contains the follOJJing letter friom W.R. Dykes written Feb. 27, 1913, shortly foZZowing the app(?arar.zc~ of-the "Genus Iris"·

Dear Mr. Baker: It was a great ·pleasure to receive your letter this evening and to know that you approve of the "Genus frisu. I' .can still remember the time when I first borrowed your "Irideae" from a neighboi;:· a~'d what a shock it was to me to find that, in spite of my efforts to collect irise~ ii:i my garden, there were many more species of which I did not even know the names: .: It was your book that showed me that there was much to be discovered and put together about the genus and I am therefore the more glad to be able to show you the results of my efforts. Yours sincerely, W.R. Dykes (signed) Incidentally this also tells something of the ahanges that have taken place within the publishing business in the time interval; MI> . Dykes dated his preface to the book, traditionally the last portion written, November 1912. *** From Jean Collins, Tauranga, N.Z. to Roy Davidson, Seattle comes the following chapter which may be the 01"iticaZone to solving the mystery of the o:r>igin of this sorrib:r>e brown watez- iris, 'Holden Clough'.

You may not have remembered my excitement when I saw you at San Jose in 1978, telling about having h arvested two seeds from vHolden Clough' . They were from two separate pods; both were hard, oval and brownish-black and they stayed that way.

Before we left for the convention I had planted one in a pot and given into the keeping, while we were away, of a friend who has a glass - house. The other was put into an envelope and stored safe in the County Council strongroom with our papers and documents and was planted on our return in June. The first one germinated_ probably about a year later, and is now a plant of two fans about 6-8 inches tall.

Getting back to tJ1e original plant, I did not attempt hand pollination, knowing it to be from an inter-species cross ; nor did I expect any seed in the pods which formed; most were so thin and barren looking. So it was a great surprise to find two seeds that season, and yet another one last year, similar to _the other two. . . Examination of the leaves of Holden Clough, foe.t~",dissima and pseudacorus, in my opini, shows those of the hybrid to be quite similar to foetidissima, except the veining is not quite so pronounced in the former, while the leaves of pseuda,corus have a slight ridge or midrib, absent in the others . Leaves of Holden Clough when held to the light are shown to have those black specks we learned as indicatLng it to be a wate~· loving iris.

(SU!Le£y all 06 U6 who Me 91t.ow..i..ng 'Ho.f..den Clough' 1.>hou1..d wa;tc..h · tho.6 e 1.:,hJuveUng podb hi m-i..d6unrneJL jw,t in c..Me. a .t>mill 1.>we.eLi.n.g buU..c.a;teJ.> :tha;t 1.>ome.how OIL othe/1. a 1.>e.e.d hao . been 0M ..med, ,ln wh-lch c.a1>e U ou.gh;t to be c.aJLe.6ui..ly watc.he.d and ha.ll.ve1.>.ted and planted. 16 ,i.J1 .tone U .i-6 poMJ..ble to gJc.Ow .6 ev(!JC.a£ pfunu 611.om ;tJuJ.:, hyb!Ud a.nd make compaJu~oM we c.a.n lwpe. to leall.n. much a.bout w pMba.b.le oJU.gin. Wond.M wha;t mlgh,t come 06 Vt..yhig ta pod U ta pseudaaorus, oil.to foetidissima?) R.D. ********** 910

Angus Robertson,. Pal.mer, Alaska to Roy Davidson, Seattle. I can only report that the two irises you sent back with me for hardiness testing have both made excellent growth and have gone into winter as of now as vigorous plants. However I have my fingers crossed as to their survival. An interesting observation of ail the native plants, including Iris setosa down at the Eklutna Flats along the road from Anchorage and those moved from there up here, all of them go dormant when ti1e season brings its hints of winter to come. The foliage of most perennial plants collapses and the life forces retreat to the underground parts very readily. Both these irises and the polyanthus primroses I brought up last l'1arch on my return showed no signs of heeding that survival mechanism and kept up the struggle to grow throughout preliminary freezes, finally disappearing beneath the snow with green leaves intact. The ability to retreat into dormancy may be a key mechanism of the winter hardiness of plants. The only things that remain green hereabouts are the spruce needles and the pyrolas and to some extent the Cornus oana.densis. We'll see next spring, and I will let you know the outcome. (The. :two .i.Jt,u e/2 .6 e.n:t oolt. .6 ome. IIJ,<,.nteJc. :te/2tin.g ,ln.c.£.u.de.d p!t.obab.R..y M 911.e.a:t a MVe.ll.- g e.n.ce. -Ut oOUa.ge al.> Wa..6 p0.6.6,lble, .the €.Ve/Lgll.een foetidissima and .the .606,t de.c.,idu.oU6 I 1 pseudaoorus Vcvue.ga:ta _; .i.;t ,lt:, too .600n. :to Im.ow how .t.he.y all.e oall.-utg. )

Robyn GuZZy, HaJJJthomden South AustT'alia to Bruoe Rioha:r>dson I could not agree more that the latest edition (//26) of SIGNA was a most excell­ ent one. It is extremely gratifying to be a member of such a Society and get as much out of it despite the vast distances between us • • • • A member of the local Botanical Garden, Thekla Reighstein, thinks highly of it and it is pleasing that people in official botanical circles can also get some value from it .

• • • • I was fortunate to be given a few bulbs of the Juno I. magnifioa by a gentleman in Victoria recently, Mr. Otto Fausers and he is probably about the only Australian growing Junes . I have some seedlings from the SIGNA Seed Exchange and the B. I . S. But none are at bloom stage as yet. These are mainly magnifioa alba and orohioides.

Today a local plant enthuiast friend gave me a photostat copy of a most inter­ esting article on bu).bous .irises by Michael H. Hoog from the British magazine THE PLANTSMAN, Vo. 2, pt. 3, Dec. 1980. It covers virtually all known species and hybrids of bulbous irises, _including Junes, and is a most comprehensive work (also concise). It is based on a lecture given in Jan. 1980 to the Royal General Bulb Growers Association of Holland •

• • • • We are enjoying one of t.1-ie finest autumns ever in South Australia with seemingly endless mild to warm days and cool crisp nights. The unguioularis irises have burst into bloom the past couple of weeks and a hot dry summer seems tohave assured an excellent flowering. _;Season for them. Today (Apr. 23rd) there were over a dozen flowers on the larger, darker marginata, Nhile alba and some 'Edith Cleaves' seedlings are also displaying sporadic bloom. The 'Edith Cleaves" seedlings have begun to show some variation for the first time, with a couple of flowers showing small but quite distinct dark "eye" markings on the falls. In past years I found it so close to the common type as to be virtually indistinguishable. 'Walter Butt' seems to ·be the most distinctive one, which bloooed for the first time last year with quite a distinctive white 11eye" on its falls. I crossed it with unguioularis aZba and obtained about 10_15 seeds from a pod on each clump • •• , I am hoping f_or good bloom on the spurias too , as the summer has really suited them here. 911

John W. Wood of Gaffney~ South Carolina, writes of winning his first blue ribbon in the novice class at the Columbia, South Carolina, Iris Show with an arrangement

using yellow !)utch Iris flowers , 1. P1.ieuda.coll.U1.i leaves j and variegated Hosta leaves in a gold container - after five tries. He says: "The Federated Garden Club Judges are by and large ~ough, and the arrangement must be - it appears - kind of oddball. 11

We'd like to hear from some more of our members - what species have been winr1ers in the arrangements at your local iris sho~·,s? ***

Hilinary ~atton, .Hast ~gs, N. Z. to Il~uce Richar dson:

•• •• My two Pa.rdancanda. NoI'risii plants both bloomed very well this year; I wintered them under cloches. I see they have both set a few beepods. I did intend to do some hand crossing • • • • Alan Herbert who grew the plants in the first place, tells me tha·t his never set seed unless he hand pollinates them and they won't self t but set readily one on the other - I think perhaps he hasn I t so many bees as I have. The first of his s.eedlings from the cross he made on the lilac coloured one with betancarula pollen has just flowered, very similar to Y.iama, only a decided orange tinge over a light lilac; it opens about noon • ••• I see one of the rock garden nur­ series on the South Islsnd advertizing I. minutaurea, so they must have so-lved the problem of growing it. The three people I know of that grow it to perfection live in entirely different parts of N. Z. and have it growing in very different situations. *** QUESTIONSg

Q. I hope some way can be found to keeping such familiar .names as kaempferi. Do .. you know ~vhat ·the Japanese themselves called their irises? A; There has apparently never been any confusion over the names of their irises among the Japanese people • ••• that io, not until it came to putting the European system of nomenclature to them, And then they only fell into European error . There were SHAGA (japoniaa), Hil1E-SHAGA (gI'acilipes)~ AYAME (sanguinea)., HIOGI-AYAME (setosa), and EHIME-AYAME (rossii)., ICHI-HATSU (tectorwn)., KAKITSUBATA (Zaevigata) and NANA- SHOBU (which their botan~sts almost to a man, now refer to as ensata). There is a way to explain without undue wordiness when referring to the last; you can speak or write Iris ensata (kaempferi).:, which tells precisely what plant is intended, keeping the familiar name but in its correct sense, that of a superfluous name that has no validity, but which for clarity remains in useage. An alternate to this is using the Japanese name; never any danger of being misinterpreted there, but not everyone will be familiar with their meanings.***

Q. I have heen told that it is possible to root the stalks of irises just as you do geranium cuttings. Is this true, and how does one go about it. A. In order to succeed :1.n growing any kind of a stem cutting into a rooted plant it is first necesse.ry to have grnwth buds. Ordinarily the flower stalks of irises are not so equipped, even though there a-re exceptions that have appeared· in the bulletin in by-gone times as "proliferations" on irises (as well as on hemerocallis.) It is an entirely possible way to increase ~he cane evansias, confusa, wattii~ jap­ onica and their hybrids, but the part utilized ~s not strictly speaking the same. Tilese irises produce one year a leafy growth a little like a small bamboo~ and each one of t.lie leaves c-:>n~eals a growth bud. When these !!stalks" are cut into short sections and inserted in a cutting medium, they are indeed as easy as geraniums, and the method is an easy way to get a lot of increase in a hurry, but it doesn't hold true for other kinds because what you are cutting up is actually an aerial rhizome . Rhizome cuttings in other irj_ses are no advantage, and are very prone to decay . *** 912

SPECIES IRIS IN DENVER By Pana.you Ca.U.a-6, CuJta.:to1t, Rock. AR.pine. GM.den Denver Botanic Gardens

If any SIGNA members shou~d attend the 1982 American Iris Society annual meet­ ing in Denver, they may be surprised to find an extensive representation of the iris species on the grounds of the Denver Botanic Gardens. The principal interest of most attending this meeting will of course be in the Guest Iris Beds near the entrance of the DBG, comprised of Tall Bearded, Median and Standard Dwarf cultivars. There are also display gardens of Siberian and Spuria cultivars adjoining the Bearded Iris. This is all very glorious, as mut-i:colour front page pie tures on Denver·' s daily papers attested this year. But for the species buff, there are other , subtler and more exciting things in store!

Large cloups of Japanese Iris and cultivars around the pond in the Japanese Garden will be blooming several weeks after the conference will have ended. Iris pseudacorus has been extensively used among the various water features of the Gardens and a host of other species and cultivars are present in the Perennial Border, the Herb Garden and especially in the Rock and Alpine Garden, where I, as Curator, have been able to promote one of my favorite groups of plants.

Iris are not particularly alpine. Few species are known to occur above the timberline anywhere in the northern hemisphere and indeed? there are rather few that can be considered to be subalpine. The bulk of the genus are either aestivating xerophytes from Central Asia or mesophytes adapted to growing along watercourses in continental climates. A few groups comprise woodlanders and meadow plants. Fortun­ ately, the Rock Alpine Garden is not iron-cast in its definitions . Iris not only have dazzling f lowers, but the foliage of the wild species forms such a pleasing, grassy counterpoint to the predominating mats and rosulate textures of rock gardens that they have proven invaluable here not just for colour but for architectual effect.

At present, over sixty s pecies and even more hybrid taxa (such as the wild­ looking Cal-Sibes) have already been planted in the garden. Rather than merely listing these individually, let's take a walk through the garden and take stock of how things might look for the coming year.

This has been an almost perfect growing year for Colorado; temperatures have been neither excessively cool, nor unreasonably hot: We have had far more rain than usual (at least once a week) but not enoug~ to kill cacti, oncocycli nor Calochorti. Therefore, the iris throughout the garden will be surprising us with their health.

l!Ie start by following the path to tl'P. 1 .eft as we enter the garden. We are immediately confronted by Iris teatorum (1)* in the common blue and almost more common white forms. This is a vigorous and carefree plant in Colorado - found in many local gardens - where it will thrive under almost any garden regimen. Therefore it is fitting that this fine Chinese. species should be one of the first plants in our way. The large clumps are only two years old from seed, and these too are vigorously self sowing .

As we continue along this Montane Slope, with its woodsy duff and shade from the young Paperbark and Amur maples, we find another crested iris forming extensive mats; Iris crista.ta. (2) in three colour forms has formed in less than two growing seasons an almost impenetrable mat under these trees. It has proven to?~ a good plant for ED: The numeral,s after the species names refer to the map at. ·the end of this article. 913

a variety of sites in Colorado gardens, needing , however, a certain amount of hand weeding and replanting every three or four years to maximize blooming •. Some say the flowers are fleeting. So are many good things in life. Robust clumps of Iris gr>aminea (3) occur in the background - this fine iris is intended mostly for the enjoyment of the staff - since few visitors can find the flowers buried in the foliage .

A number of Cal-Sibes are growing along this slope -· test plants from Jean Witt that look very promising, but have been growing too short a time for judgements. Before we proceed up onto .the Fell Field and the North Slopes, lets look at the Scree Mound that abuts the path opposite the Montane Slope. Iris meZZita (4) is the first of the tiny, bearded iris one finds here. It blooms very early, and few people notice the tiny leaves out of bloom. Some twenty feet further along this mound one can find a colony of Iris reichenbach-ii (5) in the yellow fonn. This is a vigorous and fine bearded dwarf species thriving in limestone conditions.

The first iris we confront on the North Slope is Iris setosa var. hookeri (5) . Although this is reputed to be dwarf? at a foot t all it is only six or so inches smaller than the Alaskan form of this delightful iris. Since the species is not just alpine, but arctic, it is well represented in the garden. You are not apt to see healthier or more robust plants of the Labrador Iris . Although this has only been .its second year, each cltunp produced dozens of flowers over a period of almost six weeks this spring. They will be sure to attract attention next June, since it overlaps with Tall Bearded Iri.s in blooming period. The smoky, grey blue flowers are riot nearly as dazzling as the Alaskan form found further along, but to sophisticated tastE:s, a clump of Labrador Iris in bloom is second t~ none. The same sophisticated onlooker will doubtless be horrified to notice that this mass of Labrador Iris is planted alongside robust plants of Viola pedata, TroZZius pumiZus, and Nandina domestica var. compacata . Lower on the same slope there are several heal thy clumps of Iris bracteata (7) from southern Oregon. This has proven to be one of the best CaZifornicae for this climate.

Another few paces along the way on the south facing portion of the bed one co­ fronts one of the greatest prides of the garden: A large bed smothered with (8). This Eurasian iris thrives under the same regimen as the previous mentioned iris. It blossoms for much of the month of April and some years into May. It has proven to b~ floriferous and tough.

Across the path on the Fell Field, Iris Zaaustris (9) thrives along the margins of the crushed limestone path. A short ways further along, Iris minuta (10) is forming l arge clumps. Ir-is kamaonensis (11) is another tiny iris found another few paces up along this slope; it grows well both among gr.anite boulders on the Fell Field and on the sunµier peat bank on the North Slope.

I am sure that most SIGNA members will be shocked with the robust clumps of Iris. Verna (12) crowning the North Slope just above the waterfall. ~ey grow quite leafy in the summer time and bronze considerably in the intense winter sun of Colorado. Nevertheless , this iris seems to grow far better in sun and acid, peaty soil than any other condition. It blooms prolifically here.

There are no more iris until one reaches the sumit of the Boulder Field. Here under the 12 ton gran~te boulder that forms the sumit of the garden, there are a number of Californicae; Iris goT'171anii (13) bloomed abundantly the first year. Iris chrysophyZZa (14) and Iris douglasiana (15) have also established well on this slope. There are also some small clumps of Iris miZesii (16) undergoing testing on this slope. 914

Across the path, clumps of Iris setosa (17)' from Alaska overhang the poo.L. There are no more iris until you come .around this slope into the area of the water­

fall. Iris tena:c (18) is growing along the upper Seep Bank 9 and there are some small clumps of Iris tenuis (19) starting to spread on this same slope.

At present? the only iris on the Limestone Cliffs is the Vesper Iris, Iris dichotoma (20). This doesn't bloom until the end of July, but the tall stalks produce a tremendous spray of jewell-like blossoms for weeks on end. Unfortunately, the blossoms do not open most days until dusk, and they close shortly after dawn most suriny mornings, so that only a few nocturnal insects are apt to see them, since the Botanic Gardens are open only between the hours of 9:00 and 4:45.

On the shady portions of the North Slope, there are a number of large clwnps ·of Iris graciZipes (21) in the blue, white and the strangely controted "double" form~

On the Moraine Mound opposite, there are a number of bulbous iris. Iris ret­ iculata (22) rises up through mats of Hernia.ria gZabra and Paronyahia nivea in the early spring. On the east side of the bed, a very dwarf form of Iris bucharica (23) forms a wonderful picture in April . This is a vigorous plant in this garden. Iris histrioides var. major (24) is unquestionably the loveliest Reticulata iris in the garden; it thrives on the west side of the Moraine. This is much more vigorous and reliable in Colorado than other species in its section.

The only iris now growing along the stream below the Waterfall is Iris ensata var. spontanea (25) grown from wild collected Japanese seed. This striking iris has deep purple, yellow marked fl owers. To the north of the Moraine, the Lower Meadow forms a large, flat expanse that contrasts pleasantly to the rest of the garden,s rocky terrain. The simulated stream bisecting the meadow is bordered with a number of iris species and relatives. The first clumps one encounters are of a strange Siberian iris grown from seed originating near Brno, Czechoslovakia with a finely reticulated blossom. Several large clumps of Iris Zactea (26) occur along the bank further up the stream. This is one of th~ most tolerant and adaptable iris that grow in Colorado gardens. Typical Iris Zactea (formerly known as both Iris bigZumis and Iris. ensata can ~e squinny flowered. The form growing in Colorado closely resembles our native Iris missouriensis, except for the white falls, blue standards and unforgetable cigarette-lighter fluid aroma. The l eaves are far more persistant than our native iris, remaining green and firm well into the fall. It makes a tremendous show for m1:1ch of May and early June, and seems to thrive in al.most any soil or exposure in our climate. It was introduced to numerous local gardens by San and Mary Heacock from SIGNA seed.

Iris missouriensis (27) itself is found further up in a number of different colour forms ~ from deep blue and purples selected by Allan R. Taylor from populations near Boulder, to three separate albino clones from three different Western States. A number of other iris can be seen around the meadow including the dwarf bearded species Iris barthii (28) and Iris furaata (29) . Iris flavissima (30) is growing well on the: warm bank at the .top of the meadow.

The northern portions of the Rock Alpine Garden are especially suited to the dry­ land iris such as the Arils and Oncos. Here, the soils vary from sandy loam to heavy, alkaline clays and there is a long summer baking among the limestone cliffs. The first year after planting, (31), I . "Bronze Beauty" (32), I . stolon­ ifera (33), and I . hoogiana purpurea (~) produced dozens of flowers . Next year ~he display should be even more impressive. Other aril iris in the garden include Ir~s gatesii (35), (36) and Iris polakii (37). They seem to adapt to grow­ ing among agaves, penstemons and nenotheras. , ...;

PLANT F'ohM K.J;Y ------

' ' 0 IU V. r.,1':<>\ ';0..EAF 1l',E-J;

0 ~ ~ RIJ,,! f 1"?:E£. 1,. - ,o'

' ' I I I ------1 I I I I ,· I I / ·I I ' ' ~- •• ~' .. I@, ·ffJ:t~: i:M~A~I~ AP,EM, (YU"·A1'0U~ ,:;> l'l'lcl',G.-,T)

DENVER BOTANIC GARDENS DENVER, COLORADO Rock Alpine Garden 916

AQUATIC AND WETLAND PLANTS

OF SOUTHERN . .UNITED STATES

Robert K. Godfrey Jean W. Wooten

Iridaceae (IRIS FAMlLY)

• Plants rhi1.omatous; stems not winged; style branches broad and petallike, the stamens sheltered or hidden beneath them; perianth of 6 clawed segments, the outer J spreading or reflexed, the inner J erect or arching. l. Iris • Plants tufted; stems winged; style branches threadlike; perianth segments 6, closely similar, not clawed. 2. Sisyrinchium I. Iris Rhizomatous perennials with sword like or linear, acute leaves and large showy flowers. Flowers bisexual, radially symmetrical, subtended by spathaceous . Ovary infe­ rior, the floral tube surmounted by 6 clawed perianth segments, the outer more distinctly clawed than the inner, the inner sometimes scarcely clawed, the spreading or reflexed, the petals erect or arching, (in ours) narrower and shorter than the more showy sepals. Stamens 3, inserted at the base of the sepals. Ovary 3-locular, 3-6-angled or -lobed without; style divided into 3 petallike branches which arch over the stamens, each 2-lobed at the tip, the stigma a thin lip or plate at the base of the 2 lobes. Fruit a capsule bearing numerous seeds in I or 2 longitudinal rows in each locule. I. Flowers yellow or coppery red to bronze. 2. Flowers bright yellow to golden yellow; sepals and petals not notched at the summit, the sepals much longer than the erect petals. I. /. pseudacorus 2. Flowers dark red to coppery red or bron1.e; sepals and petals notched at the summii, nearly equal in length, the petals not erect. 2. /. fi1lva I. Flowers shades of blue to purple. 3. Petals li11le if any longer than the claws of the sepals. 3. /. rridentara J. Petals 1/l as long as the entire or longer. 4. Largest leaves not over 5 mm wide. 4. /. prismatica 4. Largest leaves much over 5 mm wide. S. Lowest foliar of the inflorescence long, usually reaching or exceeding the topmost flower; inflorescence axis zigzag. . 6. Flowering stem 2-4 dm high, slender, shorter than the lower leaves, the flowers more or less hidden in the leaves. 5. I. hrevicaulis 6. Flowering stem (6-) 8-12 dm tall, stout, the lower leaves · sometimes reaching the inflorescence or only a lilllc exceeding it, the flowers conspicuously adorning the summit of the plant. 6. /. hexagona S. Lowest foliar bract of the inflorescence usually not reaching the topmost flower; inflores· cence not zigzag. 7. /. virginica

I. Iris pseudacorus L. YELLOW-t'LAG. Fig. 351 Rhizome stout, 2-3 cm in diameter, pinkish, extensively spreading. Stems 7-12 dm tall, about equalling the leaves. Leaves erect below. arching to nodding distally, ,4-8 dm long, 2-3 cm wide. Flowering stem erect, the foliar bract about as long as the inflorescence, usually with one flower in the axil of the foliar bract, two others from the terminal spathes. Sepals arching, 5-8 cm long, with short broad claws, the blades ovate to suborbicular, golden yellow, the claw and centrally the base of the blade flecked with brown. Petals erect, yellow, 2-3 cm long, linear to narrowly fiddle-shaped. Capsule oblong, 5-8 cm long, obscurely 3-angled. Seeds brown, corky, angular. Native in Eurasia and Africa. Naturalized from cultivation locally in the eastern U.S .• mostly in swampy woodlands, marshes, meadows, and along small streams.

2. Iris fulva Ker. RED-FLAG. Fig. 352 Rhizome stout, usually fibrous from old disintegrating leaf bases. Stem 7-IO dm tall, slightly zigzagging. Leaves erect, to about 9 dm long. Foliar bract subtending the 609 · 917

Fig. 351 . Iris pscudacorus; a, plan1; b, outer pcrianrh segment; c, inner perianih segment; d, capsule, open; c, seed. (From CorreU and Correll) 610 918

Fig. 352, Iris fulva: a, plant; b, outer pcrianth segment; c, inner perianth segment; d, fruit. (From Correll and Correll) 611 919

inflorescence usually much shorter than 1hc inflorescence, commonly a flower in its axil, another from the next spathe above, and I-several from the 1erminal spathes. Perianth segments coppery red. dark red to red or bron1.e (becoming purplish in drying). notched at the summit. Sepals with a short claw, spreading then strongly arching and often descending distally, 4.5-5.5 cm long, the blades oval to obovate. Petals arching or descending, spatulate, oblanccolate, or clliplic-obovate, scarcely clawed, nearly as long as the sepals. Capsule elliptic to oval in outline, 4.5-5.5 cm long, not beaked but sometimes shortly constricted apically. Swamps, marshes, sloughs. Ga. to La. (e. Tex.?), n. in the interior to Ky. and Mo.

3. Iris lridcntata Pursh. BA v BLUE-FLA(;. Fig. 353 Rhi,:omes at first relatively slender, about 5 mm in diameter, and clothed with coarse, strongly many-ribbed, brown, overlapping scales; older rhizomes thicker, 1-2 cm in diameter, and more or less covered with short to longish dark brown fibers from old leaf bases. Stems 3-7 dm tall, usually unbranched and hearing a single flower, sometimes once-branched, each branch with a single flower. Leaves glaucous, linear-tapering to a long-acute summit, 3-4 dm long. 5-10 mm wide. Inner spathaceous bract much longer than the outer, reaching 10 about the middle of the flower, 5-10 mm wide on a side. Sepals arching. drooping distally, their blades ovate or oval, a bit longer than the claw, apically rounded, vi olet, the base of the blade centrally with a yellow spot flecked or lined with violet, the claw greenish and flecked or lined with violet and bordered with violet. Petals erect, oblanccolate, shorter than to just longer than the claw of the sepal, greenish at the base, violet above with deeper violet lines. Capsule obtusely 3-angled, sometimes scarcely angled at all, short-oblong. truncate to rounded basally. abruptly contracted into a beak at the summit, well-developed capsules 2.5-4 cm long, 2 cm across. Seeds in 2 rows in each locule, corky, semicircular or lunate, about 6 mm across. (I. tript!'(a/a Walt.) Seasonally wet pine savannas and flatwoods, borders of cypress-gum ponds, bogs, ditches. Coastal plain, s.e. N.C. to n. Fla.

4. Iris prismalica Pursh ex Ker. SLENDER BLUE-FLAG. Rhi1.0mes slender, to 5 mm in diameter. Siems slender, 3-6 dm tall, overtopping the leaves. Leaves 3-4.5 dm long, narrow, 2-5 mm wide. Foliar bract subtending the inflorescence usually much shorter than the inflorescence, I or more flowers from its axil, sometimes one or two bracts above with 1-2 spathes in their axils, 1-3 flowers from the terminal spathes. Sepals 4-5 cm long, arching and the blade descending. distally with a purplish-whitish background and veined with deep purple, somewhat yellowish below, the blade ovate to obovate or suborbicular. Petals erect to arching-erect. clawed. the blades oblanceolatc to narrowly obovate, about 3/1 as long as the sepals, purple. Capsule 3-4 cm long, narrowly oblong in outline. sharply 3-angled. Seeds in I row in each locule, brown, not or scarcely corky. (Incl. /. prismarica var. austrina Fern.) Marshes, meadows. bogs, wet thickets. N.S. to Ga., along the coast, and in the s. Appalachians. s. Iris brevicaulis Raf. LAMANCE IRIS. Rhizome 1-2.5 cm in diameter. Leaves to 7 dm long, 1.5-3 cm wide, flaccid, conspicu• ously ovcrtopping the short, zigzag fl9wering stem, the latter 2-4 dm high. (Leaves said to be prostrate and the flowering stems lying on the ground as well.) Foliar bract subtending the inflorescence much exceeding it, sometimes a flower in its axil, and I or more much smaller bracts above subtending spathes and flowers. Peria nth deep blue to purple. Sepals 7-9.5 cm long. the blade ovate, arching, 2.5-3 cm broad, a little longer than the claw, base of blade greenish white around the distal portion of a yellow papillose crest extending from the greenish yellow, dark-striped claw. Petals oblanceo­ late or spatulate, only a little shorter than the sepals, arching and descending distally. Capsule ovoid to oblong. 3-5 cm long, hexagonal. (I. Joliosa Ma.ck. and Bush) Swamps, wet woodlands, marshy shores. Ohio to e. Kans., s. to Ala. and e. Tex. 612 920

Fig. 353. Iris tridentata: a, habit; b, capsule; c, capsule in cross section; d, seed. 613 921

6. Iri s hcxagona Walt. ANGU:POD 81.UE-FLAG. Fig. 354 Rhiwmes elongate, 1-2 cm in diameter, bearing numerous fibrous roots but not usually fibrous with old leaf bases. Leaves stiffly erect, several close together, blades green or pale green, glaucous when young, to 7 dm long, sometimes the longer ones reaching or a little exceeding the flowers. Flower stalk erect; sometimes with a flower or flower cluster terminally, more commonly somewhat geniculate, a long foliaceous bract at a node subtending a flower or flower cluster, then a rather long internode, another long foliaceous bract at the node above and subtending a flower or flower cluster, thus usually flowers or flower clusters from 2-4 somewhat geniculate nodes; fo liaceous bracts variable in length from plant to plant, the lower if more than one, always longer and more lcaflike, as long as 6-7 dm, the uppermost shortest, commonly about 1.5 dm long. Flowers very handsome. Sepals 7.5-9.5 cm long. blades oval, oblong, or ovate, rich purple, claw yellowish green with darker green lines, with a central linear yellow hairy crest distally on the claw and extending onto the base of the blade; either side of the crest, the base of the blade white with purple lines. Petals mostly 7-8 cm long, spatulate, the blade deep purple, the claw yellow-green at the base, centrally yellow with purple lines above and with white- to purple-lined borders. Capsules oval to oblong, 3-4 (-8) cm long, about 2 (-4) cm across, abruptly narrowed at the summit to a short thickish beak; usually, not always, somewhat flattened, with 3 somewhat elevated longitudinal ridges on each of the rounded "edges." Seeds usually in 2 longitudinal rows in each locule, sometimes in I, corky, irregularly compressed. We should emphasize that our description of Iris hexagona may be too narrowly drawn to include all of its variant forms. Our knowledge is too limited and unsophisti­ cated even to know, in many cases, which of the plethora of species treated by Small ( 1933) may be identifiable with it or closely allied to it. Indeed, this includes/. brevicau­ lis, here recognized as specifically distinct from /. hexagona, but so treated without much conviction. Swamps, clearings of swamps, drainage ditches and canals, cypress-gum ponds, cypress prairies, wet swales, marshy shores. S.C. to Fla., w. to s.e. Tex., n. to s.e. Mo.

7. Iris ,·irginica L. SOUTHERN BLUE FLAG. Fig. 355 Rhiwme stoutish, 1-2 cm in diameter, sometimes more or Jess covered with brown fibe rs from old leaf bases. Stems 5-10 dm tall, rather weak, often falling over after flowering. Leaves flexuous, to about 6-8 dm long and to 3 cm wide, the lower portions of lower leaves buff-colored, sometimes suffused with purplisti pigment. Flowering stem usually exceeding the leave~. the foliar bract subtending the inflorescence about equal­ ling it. Flowers usually several, one from the axil of the foliar bract, 1-2 from the next spathe above, and 2-3 from the terminal spathe, the axis straight, stalks of the flowers elongating as the fruit matures, becoming 4-7 cm long. Sepals spreading and arched, 7-10 cm long, their blades obovate to oval, pale blue to purple, with darker blue or purple venation, the claw green medially, broadly bordered by a yellow ground color with blue or purple lines, the yellow extending centrally on to the base of the blade. Petals ascending, spatulate to obovate, 3/3 as long as the sepals or a little more, the claws greenish yellow with blue or purple lines. Capsule 3-6 cm long, 1- 2 cm wide, usually oblong, obscurely angled. Seeds pale brown, corky, very variable in shape. (/. caro/ini· ana S. Wats.) Commonly in shallow water, marshes, marshy shores, swamps, sloughs, drainage ditches and canals, low wet areas in pine savannas and flatwoods. S.e. Va. to Fla., w. to e. Tex. and e. Okla.

2. Sisyrinchium (BLUEEYED-GRASSES) Perennial or annual usually tufted herbs, the herbage grasslike. Leaves equitant, nar­ rowly linear, mostly basal. Stems (scapes), 2-edged or 2-winged, from the axil of a leallike bract. Flowers bisexual, mostly radially symmetrical, in umbelllike clusters

614 122

Fig. 354. Iris he xa~ona: a, habit; b, upper portion of inflorescence; c, outer perianth segment; d, inner pcrianth segment; e, style branches; f, stamen; g, capsule; h, capsule sectioned. 615 921

6. Iris hexagona Wah. ANGJ.Eroo BLUE-FLAG. Fig. 354 Rhiwmes elongate, 1-2 cm in diameter, bearing numerous fibrous roots but not usually fibrous with old leaf bases. Leaves stiffly erect, several close together, blades green or pale green, glaucous when young. to 7 dm long, sometimes the longer ones reaching or a little exceeding the flowers. Flower stalk erect; sometimes with a flowe r or flowe r cluster terminally, more commonly somewhat geniculate, a long foliaceous bract at a node subtending a flower or flower cluster, then a rather long internode, another long foliaceous bract at the node above and subtending a flower or flower cluster, thus usually flowers or flower clusters from 2-4 somewhat geniculate nodes; foliaceous bracts variable in le ngth from plant to plant, the lower if more than one, always longer and more leaflike, as long as 6- 7 dm, the uppermost shortest. commonly about 1.5 dm long. Flowers very handsome. Sepals 7.5- 9.5 cm long, blades oval, oblong, or ovate, rich purple, claw yellowish green with darker green lines, with a central linear yellow hairy crest d istally on the claw and extending onto the base of the blade; either side of the crest, the base of the blade white with purple lines. Petals mostly 7-8 cm long, spatulate, the blade deep purple, the claw yellow-green at the base. centrally yellow with purple lines above and with white- to purple-lined borders. Capsules oval to oblong, 3-4 (-8) cm long, about 2 (-4) cm across, a bruptly narrowed at the summit to a short thickish beak; usually, not always, somewhat flattened, with 3 somewhat elevated longitudinal ridges on each of the rounded "edges." Seeds usually in 2 longitudinal rows in each loeule, sometimes in I, corky, irregularly compressed. We should emphasize that our description of Iris hexagona may be too narrowly drawn to include all of its variant forms. Our knowledge is too limited and unsophisti­ cated even to know, in many cases. which of the plethora of species treated by Small ( 1933) may be identifiable with it or closely allied to it. Indeed, this includes/. brevicau­ lis, here recognized as specifically distinct from /. hexagona, but so treated without much conviction. Swamps, clearings of swamps. drainage ditche~ and canals, cypress-gum ponds, cypress prairies, wet swales, marshy shores. S.C. to Fla., w. to s.e. Tex., n. to s.e. Mo.

7. Iris virginica L. SOUTH ERN BLIJE FL AG. Fig. 355 Rhiwme stoutish. 1-2 cm in diameter, sometimes more or less covered with brown fibers from old leaf bases. Stems 5-10 dm tall. rather weak, often falling over after flowering. Leaves flexuous, to about 6-8 dm long and to 3 cm wide, the lower portions of lower leaves buff-colored, sometimes suffused with purplisli pigment. Flowering stem usually exceeding the leave~. the foliar bract subtending the inflorescence about equal­ ling it. Flowers usually several, one from the axil of the foliar bract, 1-2 from the next spathe above, and 2-3 from the terminal spathe. the axis straight, stalks of the flowers elongating as the fruit matures, becoming 4-7 cm long. Sepals spreading a nd a rched, 7-10 cm long, their bla~es obovate to oval, pale blue to purple, with darker blue or purple venation, the claw green medially, broadly bordered by a yellow ground color with blue or purple lines, the yellow extending centrally on to the base of the blade. Petals ascending, spatulate to obovate, 3/J as long as the sepals or a little more, the claws greenish yellow with blue or purple lines. Capsule 3-6 cm long, 1-2 cm wide, usually oblong, obscurely angled. Seeds pale brown, corky, very variable in shape. (/. carolini­ ana S. Wats.) Commonly in shallow water, marshes, marshy s hores, swamps, sloughs. drainage ditches and canals, low wet areas in pine savannas and flatwoods. S.e. Va. to Fla., w. to e. Tex. and e. Okla.

2. Sisyrinchium ( BLUEEYED· GRASSES) Perennial or annual usually tufted herbs, the herbage grasslike. Leaves equitant, nar­ rowly linear, mostly basal. Stems (scapes), 2-edged or 2-winged, from the axil of a leaRike bract. Flowers bisexual, mostly radially symmetrical, in umbelllike clusters 614 122

Fig. 354. Iris htxai:ona: a, habit: b, upper ponion of inflorescence: c, outer pcrianth segment; d, inner pcrianth segment; e, style branches: f, stamen; g, capsule: h, capsule sectioned. 615 I if d C

.

~ 00I

. Cf1. ·,. ··~ 09·:,·.... -' h ....· . ' Fig. 355. Iris ,·irginicn: a. base of plant: b, Oowcring stem: c. outer pcrianl h segment: d, inner peri:inth segment; c. style branches; f, fruiting stem: g, capsule in section; h, seeds. 616 924

arising from 2-bracted spathes, ephemeral. opening during daylight and lasting but a day or a part of a day. Peria nth of 6 similar. separate segments in 2 series. spreading. (ours) blue, violet, lavender-rose, yellow, or while, with a distinct eye ring in the throa1. Stamens 3, the filaments united, partly .idnate to the pcrianth. Ovary inferior, the 3 style branches filiform. Fruit a globular or ne,1rly glohular loculicidal capsule. Seeds black, glohose. This is a very dillieult group to understand, there being a plethora of named taxa a11rih11tcd to nur rang,;. We do not pretend to know how to interpret the or how to apply the nomenclature. The treatment below will perhaps serve, in a limited tentative fashion, lo help "sort out" those which inhabit wetlands in our range. I. Scapes unbranched, the spathes terminal and sessile, in the axil of an erect lcaOike br:ict. 2. Leaves and stems slaucous. the leaves capillary. in age curling. twisting. and shredding (drying grayish or silvery). 1. S. rnpill11rl' 2. I.caves and stems 1101 glaucous. stifll y erect (drying srccn). 2. S. mucro111111m1 I. Scapes branched (some diminutive plants of numbers 3 and 4 may have unbranched scapcs), or scapes bearing stalked spathes in the ultimate inflorescences. 3. Peria nth yellow or creamy white, with a brownish red eye ring and often a brownish red center line on each segment. 3. S. e.tile J. Pcrianth white. blue. violet, or lavender-rose. 4. The perianth varying from white 10 lavender-rose, not blue or violet (when fresh). with rt rose-purple eye ring. 4. S. ros11/0111m 4. The pcrianth blue to violet (or white only in an exceptional individual). 5. Old leaf bases persisting as tufts of bristlclike fibers about the base of the plant. 5. S. orenicola S. Old leaf bases not persisting or only a few persisting as loose irregular fibers. 6. Stalks of the spathes conspicuously winged. the wings usually broader than the ccntr:11 corclike portion; capsules 4-6 mm long. 6. S. ongusrifolium 6. Stalks of the spathes relatively liliform. the wings narrow. each wing not or scarcely exceeding the width of the central cordike portion; capsules 3-4 mm long. 7. S. arlantiwm I. Sisyrinchium capiJlare Bickn. Perennial. Stems and leaves very slender, flcxuous, 1.5-3 dm high, glaucous (said to be iridescent when fresh): the capillary leaves curling in age, given 10 shredding. drying grayish or silvery. some old leaf bases persisting as fibers. Scape unbranched, the spathes terminal and sessile, usually 2 in the axil of an erect. leaflike, filiform. fiexuous bract. Spathes 1-1.5 cm long, more or less suffused with purple. Flower stalks ftliform. spreading to recurving. Pcrianths blue-violet. Capsules 2-3 mm long, obovate. Seasonally wet pinclands, bogs, wet clearings. S.c. Va. to Fla. and Ala. 2. Sisyrinchium mucronatum Michx. Perennial. Stems and leaves slender, stiffiy erect. purplish near the base. drying green above. stems 2-4 dm tall, old leaf bases persisting as fibers. Scape unbranched, the spathes terminal and sess ile, usually I, someti mes 2. in the axil of a stiffish, erect, acicular, leaflike bract 1.5-7 cm long, sometimes a little longer. Spathes about 1-2 cm lo ng, usually more or less suffused with purple. Flower stalks filiform, spreading to recurving. Perianth violet (rarely white). Capsule 2.5 mm long, ovate-suborbicular. Meadows, moist grassy places, open woodlands. Maine to Ont. and B.C., Mich., Minn., s. to S.C., Ga., (n. Fla.?). 3. Sisyrinchium exile Biekn. Low annual. Habit va riable, plants often diminutive, commonly solitary and commonly tufted (even in the same place). 4-20 cm high. in well-developed plants the tops relatively wide spreadi ng. more or less geniculate. from a narrow basal tuft. Leaves 0.5-3 mm wide. Scapes on some plants branched, others unbranched, the branching often low on the stems, spathes stalked. Pcrianth yellow or creamy white. with a brown-red eye ring, often a si ngle brown-red center line on each segment. (S. broll'nei Small ex Small and Alexander; S. micranthu111 of authors) 617 925

Native to S. Am., naturalized. often weedy, moist to wet or boggy grassy roadsides and ditches, lawns, bottomland clearings, ephemeral pools. Ga. and Fla. to s.e. Tex., Ark. 4. Sisyrinchium rosulatum Bickn. Annual. Similar in general habital features to the preceding but somewhat stouter and taller, mostly 15- 35 cm tall, not usually with so many diminutive individuals, if any, present locally. Leaves 2-4 mm wide. Pcrianths vary from white to lavender-rose, often bluish purple tinged, with yellow eye circled by a rose-purple eye ring, commonly 3 (or 1 or no) lines down each segment. (Said to hybridize with S. exile.) Native of S. Am, naturalized and sometimes weedy, moist to wet roadsides, ditches, fa ll ow fie lds. N.C. to Fla., w. to s.e. Tex., Ark. A third annual species, S. minus Engelm. & Gray, occurs in La. and Tex. (sporadic and probably ephemeral elsewhere). Its usual perianth color is purple-rose or magenta­ rose (occasionally white on individual plants amongst the usual), with yellow eye. The stamens well-cxserted from the perianth in contrast to not or barely exsertcd in numbers 3 and 4. 5. Sisyrinehium arenicola Bickn. Perennial, 3- 6 dm tall. Old leaf bases persisting as a tuft of crowded erect bristles or fibers around the base of the plant. Stem and leaves sometimes slightly glaucous, 2-5 mm wide. Spathes 2-5, 1.3-2 cm long, on stalks 2-10 cm long in the ultimate inflores­ cence. Pcrianth blue-violet (rarely white). Capsules 3-5 mm high. Usually in dry or dryish sites, fie lds, open woods, savannas, in the latter case possibly where seasonally wet. Coastal plain, Mass. to Fla. and Ala. 6. Sisyrinehium anguslifolium Mill. Perennial, loosely tufted, stems sometimes geniculate, relatively broadly winged, 2-5 dm tall. Leaves I .5-6 mm wide, shorter than to exceeding the flowering stems. Spathes 2-5 together, 1.5-2 cm long and 4-5 mm wide, with stalks 2-15 cm long, the stalks with wings usually broader than the central corelikc portion. Peria nth at first pale blue (rarely white), becoming violet. Capsules 4-6 mm long. (S. graminoides Bickn.; not S. angusti­ fo/ium scnsu Small) Meadows, low woodlands and thickets, shores, moist to wet clearings and grassy roadsides. Nfld., Que., s. Ont., generally s. to Fla. Panhandle and e. Tex. 7. Sisyrinchium atlanticum Bickn. Simi lar to the preceding, more slender, mostly 1.5-3 dm tall, stems narrowly winged. Leaves 1-3 mm wide, mostly shorter than the flowering stems. Spathes mostly 2-4 together, sometimes I, 1- 1.5 cm long, 2-2.5 mm wide, on slender stalks to 7 cm long, their stalks narrowly winged, each wing not or scarcely exceeding in width the central corelike portion. Perianth blue-violet (rarely white). Capsules 3-4 mm high. Moist to wet areas, sometimes in shallow water at least seasonally, meadows, marshes, shores, low open woodlands, wet clearings, seasonally wet savannas and flat woods, commonly in extensive masses, especially on moist to wet roadsides. N.S. and Maine to Mich., s. to s. Fla. and s.e. Tex.

ED: Only the pa.rt of this work deaZin.g with iris ha.s been reprinted here. 926

IRIS GRAMINEA L.: CARYOLOGICAL ANALYSIS

Ignazio Ricci & Maretta Zaccheo Colasante Botanical Institute, University of Rome

The Iris graminea L., of the group Apogon Bak., lives prevalently in limestone (calcareous soil) with exposure generally towards the south and sometimes toward the west, at an altitude varying between 400-1,000 m., namely to the highest limit of the Chestnut tree and the Oak.

It prefers the forests (woods), humid meadows, and shady surroundings-­ sometimes in association with Bromus erectus Huds ., Brachypodium pinnatum P. B., Ornithogalum pyrenaicum L.

It is distributed in middle and with isolated stands that are dispersed as far as some regions of the Caucasus and southern Russia.

More precisely, it is conspicuous in northern Spain, at the foot of the Pyrenees , in the humid meadows of Navarra and of upper Aragon (Willkomm and Lange, 1870); in France in the heath of Bayonne (Grenier and Godron, 1855); in the earth of Toulouse (Rouy, 1912); in Belgium, in Germany, in Bavaria and in the East, in Silesia and in Bohemia (Hegi, 1939); in Switzerland it is again found on steep, grassy slopes of the S. Giorgio and Gen eroso Mountains (Franzoni, 1890); in Austria (Janchen, 1956); in Liechtenstein, in southern Tyrol in Val Vestino and Val Bondone (Hegi, 1939); on Monte Maggiore in Istria (Parlatore, 1858); in the shady mountain regions of Epiro, Cefalonia, Acaia, Arcadia, Crete (De Halacsy, 1904) ; in Macedonia (Diapoyle, 1939); in southern Russia along the banks of the Dnieper, in Asia Minor as far as the submountainous and mountainous regions of the Caucasus (Komarov, et al .• 1968).

In Italy, the plant is found with a certain frequency in the hilly meadows and mountains of northern Italy (Parlatore, 1858; Dalla Fior, 1963; Lorenzoni, 1967; Marchesetti, 1896-97; Gortani L. and Gortani M., 1905) ; in the northern Apennines (Bracciforti , 1867); in rural Lucca (Caruel, 1860); in Campania near Salerno, in Basilicata near Potenza and in Puglia (Parlatore, 1858).

In relation to the origin of the species, we are able to agree with the hypothesis of Simonet (1932) that the plant is indigenous of Europe, in addition, given its greater presence along the Alpine chain of mountains (Catena Alpines), one is able to put forward the hypothesis that this area itself was the area of origin and the center of diffusion.

KARYOTYPE

From the radical apex, taken from plants coming from the Nanos Mountains (Yugoslavia) one can compare the chromosome number 2n = 34 and find it is the same as that found by Simonet (1932).

Originally published (in Italian) in: Giornale botanico italiano 108: 75-80, 1974. Translated by Mrs. Tanya Cameron, Bozeman, Montana. 927

The somatic material of I . graminea L. is as follows :

The karyotype of.!_. graminea L. shows 2n = 34 chromosomes of the following morphology (Levan, Fredga, Sandberg, 1964): a) 2 metacentric()pairs (1,2) with a secondary constriction on each arm; b) 1 metacentric<>pair (3) with one secondary constriction on the long arm; c) 2 pairs (4,5) one «M>> , and the other«m>>, both pairs have a terminal secondary constriction; d) 2 submetacentric<>pairs (6 17) with a big satellite on the short arm; e) 1 submetacentric<~SID))pair (8) without secondary constrictions;£) 2 metacentric«m»pairs (9-10) with a terminal secondary constriction on the long arm; g) 7 submetacentric < pairs (11, 12, 13, 14 , 15, 16, 17), which slightly differ in size, without secondary constrictions . The length of the chromosomes varies between 2 , 5 and 0.9.Am.

In spite of the condition observed of numerous nucleoli, one is not able as yet to ascertain the exact numb er of nuclear constrictions and therefore of the nucleoli. Because of the technique used (Os 04) , and the plentiful granulation present in a single cell which assumes the same color as the nucleoli, an exact computation of the nucleoli has not been possible.

SUMMARY

The karyotype of the Iris graminea L. (2n = 34) was studied and acer­ tain uniformity of character in the chromosomes whose dimensions fluctuated between 2,5 and 0.9,;4m was found. Many of these chromosomes exhibit numberous secondary constrictions that manifest, sometimes, imperceptible satellites.

Regarding the origin of the species, the center of diffusion appears to be from the Catena Alps.

BIBLIOGRAFIA

Bracciforti A. , 1877 -- FZora piacentina, p. 289. Solari, Piacenza. Caruel T. , 1860 -- Prodromo della flora toscana, p. 615. Le Monnier, Firenze. Dalla Fior G. , 1963 -- La nostra Flora , p . 236. Trento . De Halacsy E., 1904 -- Conspectus Florae Greacae, 3: 190. Engelmann Lipsiae. Diapoyle A. , 1939 -- Synopsis Florae Graecae, p. 115. Atene . Franzoni A., 1890 -- Le piante fanerogame della Svizzera insubrica, p . 213. Zurcher und Furrer. Zurigo . Gortani L. e Gortani M. , 1905 Flora friulana con speciale riguardo alla Carnia , 1 : 121. Udine . Grenier M. et Godron M. , 1895 -- Flore de la Prance, 3: 243 . Besan5on. Hegi G., 1939 -- Illustrierte Flora von Mittel Europa, 2: 390. Munchen. Janchen E. , 1956 -- Catalogus Florae Austriae, 1: 739. Wien . Komarov V. L. ed altri, 1968 -- Flora of the U.S. S.R. Liliiflorae and MicrospeY'mae, p . 403 . Translated from russian Jerusalem. Levan A. , Fredga Avery A. , Sandberg, 1964 -- Nomenclature for centrometric position on chromosomes. Hereditas, 52(2): 201-220. Lorenzoni G. G., 1967 -- Flora e vegetazione del Friuli Nord-Orientale, p. 108. Udine . 928

Marchesetti c., 1896-97 -- Flora di Tri este e dei suo~ dintorni, p . 539. Lloyd Austriaco, Trieste. Parlatore F., 1858 -- Flora italiana,3 : 302 . Firenze. Le Monnier . Rouy G., 1912 -- Flore de la France, 13: 74. Paris. Simonet M., 1932 -- Recherches cytologiques et genetique chez Zes Iris. Bull. Biol. France Belgique, Paris, 66: 287. Willkomm M. e Lange J., 1870 -- Prodromu.s Florae Hispanicae , 1: 142 . Stuttgart.

Range of Iris graminea L.

ED: ~le are indebted to Prof. Homer Metcalf for the discovery of this work, seeing to its translation, having the drawing made, getting it typed in a form suitabZe for offset printing and lastly sending it in for the use of OW" SIGNA members. Many thanks, Homer. 929

A New Specie::; of Jris Subgenus Oncocyc·lns 1

By S/" 1u.l.-at A. Clw11df111ry Post Hcrh:irium. F:11:ully of A;.:rkullur:ol Sl·icnct·~. :\1111•rka11 l ' nin'r~il\· uf 13t:iru l. lkir;,,, l.ch:rn011

AIISTIUf.T t:11At·n11 ,,nY. S , .-\. JH'i2. :\ 111•w SJ>f'<· il·~ of Iris s 11 l,,.:..- 11 11s 0 1w11 t'~T h1 s, - - 'lh>I. ~o:is,·r l :!:>: :.!:1!1- '.!GO. I ri.~ ut'l,rudii U1:-.s~1<1HE ,:x C11 A l'llllA II Y sp. IHI\·.. is d,·scrilot•d. 11 i,- lrn1>w ll fn1111 only 1111.;, 1t,c:1li!y, 'frbnul in Syri:,.

Two i. pt•t:imcns of Iris from Yi>bn1cl, Syria - 111w in the Pn~t llcrh:1ri11m (BEi) :111d th,• n llwr in the Blanche Herhnrinm o l' tlw SI . .loscph l 111in~rsity in Jk intl -­ :,s nlso rrpnrll•ri:1! from !ht· ahuYc locality in I hl• :;pri11µ of 1971 . ..\ s lucly o f the frc,;h mak1·i:tl co11firml'd tha t it rt•ally was a distim.:f ~p,•c-i ,·:;. IL is now

Iris ;n•bt·nrlii 1)1:-S.\IOHE ex. l.llAl'D IIAllY sp. 110,·. Hhiz1111ia hn•n:, spi~s11m. Ca11lis 15-25 cm., u11iflorus. Foli:1 falcala, 5 vi:! Ii, en. tcrlia111 :ul

1 Farullv uf Agricultur al ScicncC's, Al' B, Fig. 1. Iris yd,r,11/ii l)(),;SMOIO-: rx (.11A1·u11.,1:Y, Sri~11lific "sl' TiC'~ l'uhli<':ilion :--n. IM. 'fl· nu,·. - · ··. 0.-1. Ill ') 3 I)

:!(it) Sf!An;:.\T .\. C! l.\l'DH.\nY

q1111111 ,·,•l p:111!0 l"l'lltolum. Bt:1deae '.!, ca­ one. clo,p to nr a little n·11111,·c-cl from 1111, ri11:1la c, .,11rit·n1e f11 .,<:<>·JH1q.rnn: ae, infcrnt' h:1s:1l le:1n,s. J:racts (\\'o, k,,e l,·d. th,, 11p1wr p11\l:1,·. (hari11111 ca. '.!.=> ,·111 . lnugum. sulca- halv1ss hro,Y11is h purple :111d lht· l11w,,r 111111, ' 1'11h1°' [H· rianlhii c:t. l.i', t'lll. lnngus. Flon·,, solit:trii plt1.,111inusv., gl,,hosi. ca 8 cm, h:tl,·~s dark-J.rnwn. (hary :1li11ul :.!.:> c·111 di:11111•ln>. Tq,:o!:, e:d,~rna orbirulala. arcuala, Ion.~. ,.:roon -:d: the JH·ri:111th tub" :tllllut <'a. li.i"i ,·111. di:111wlro. de11s1· <' l suhliliter ma- l .:i rm 1011;.:. Flnw11r~ solil:.it'y. r,tlht>r ;;io­ 1·11ln~a ,·t•l ,·c·nulis cl ntaculi~ JHll'Jllll'ei~ ,·el hubr in outline, about ~ t'll1 1011 ;.: :1nd fll\t·o-purpurt•is s11pr;1 f11111lum a lh11111 \'el >,tthfl:l\·11111 ins lructa. \'e nulac 111edi:1t: dislindl· \\'idc. Fall:; (1 rhicular, 1·t·<.: 11rn·d, :di;111l li.:i flav:u·: r11anila media ca. 0.7.Y'. t.;; c·n1., rhom­ em long :tlhl \\'icle, clo,-d,\· fi11t>ly dolt;-d or bc,a. p11rp11n·n-uhsc11ra. Tep:11:I inlerna orbi­ H'iiwd with purple or brown-purple spr,ls <.·111:11:1. hrt, c-111 , IH!>n• nr c~111didu ... . in p:1rlih1,:., in,·dib t.:1 inft·ri,\ril•u:i; lc•s :,; dian1<) r1 cn1. lnn;.:i, 1 c m . lali. ac:ule YPin~ and tho~<' iu l!w e,•nlr:il lop end (·:trinali. purpurci \'el purpuren-o),.scuri, api­ dislindl.,· ydlow: the ~round c-lt:ar whiti> cL•S hifidi: lul,i sur~um n :r~i. 111ac-11losi cl ~triati 111 !t•pala cxt~rna. towa rds tht> Jll'riphery, yPllow in th,• JIOLOTYl'E: Snia, Y<:h n11I. ;1I:"' .19;1. miII. S. ,\. C11 ,\n,i1.,11\" 1111. i8G. I II p;,,t Her­ with purplP or clark-puq>IP .,pots \(lward, l,a.-i11111 11:1•:r,. the has(' and with a 1'1 :\\· Ion;.:. ycllnw h:tin, OTIIJ-:11 l'.Ol,!.J·:1:TH):--: S~·ria. Yt>hn1cl, on the 11wdia11 innP.r basal ar<·as. Styli• \la,· 1°,1:C,. Cuil. .I. !·;. 1>1.xs,1011~: 110. '.!,l;>l:i. In ·l'osl llnh:1ri11m /BEIi :tnd Hlandtl' llcrha­ h1'a1telws tu :1bo11t ::.5 cm long. 2 t'lll wid1-, riun, 111' SI. .111 -a·ph l.'11iq•rsily of Jlcirul. :-h:irply l;,•t•lc·d. p11q>le tn cla!·k-purpk: ap ic·es Iii l11lwrl. l 1,,. t<1ht'., l u r11r-1I upward~ Hhi:~11n11·s s111:1ll. c:nmp:1d. Siem I:, ·--2:, :ind .,pollt-d :ind stn::il,(•d Ii!,,• tlw f:tll:,. l'lll l:dl. i.<·:1n·~ fak:d,·, fl or fi, co,·(·ring :1ho11I I.::\ -- 1.1'2 nf !<1<·111 : lar,.:('r l1·aYes I.ITEB..\'ITHE CJTE!) 1-1-:.! I cm l1111g . about I c:111 \\'id1• frn111 ;1Jot'Tl·:wn:. P. l!Hili. :-Sou,·l'llc, fl,·,,·., tlu T.ik1n ilw k1·,·I In tlH' margin: sl!·m-lcaf (:-palhd <'I cl1· b S~-rie. \"ol. L - -· B1·irul.

ED: Reprinted from Botaniska Notis er, Sweden. Vol. 125-3 (1972) **********

BACK ISSUES OF PUBLICATIONS

SIGNA: Issues 1 to 27 available@ $1.50 each. An Alphabetical Table to THE GENUS IRIS (B.I.S. publication) $1.50 each THE SPECIES IRIS STUDY MANUAL (SIGNA publication) $5.00 (complete set)

Send orders for any of the above to: Maryann M. Anning> La Cresta Gardens (U.S. funds) 12864 Viscaino Road, Los Altos Hills, California 94022, U.S.A.