SIGN A Iris clarkei 'Dotted Line' No. 65 Fall 2000 Species Iris Group of North America Fall 2000 - Number 65 Officer and xecutive Pre idcnt .. ........... ...... .. ... Carla Lanka\ . I I I 18 169th A enue E. Renton. WA 98059 Vice Pre ident ......................... Will Plotn r. P.O. Box 250. Molalla. R 9703 8-0250 Treasur r ..... .. .......................... Janet Sack , 337 Acton 'treet. arlisl , MAO 1741 Recording Secretary ................ ....... Paul Martin. 710 Fir t treet, Gold n. CO 80403 Memb r hip ecretary ...... Rodne Barton. 3 Wolter treet. Hickory r k TX 75065 eed xchange ........ Jan t ack /Martin chafer. 37 A ton treet, Carli le MA01741 Robi n irector ... .. ... .... ... ...... Patricia Brook . I 02 Jefferson ane, Lad n C 29456 Slide ibrary ............ .. .... .. .. 1-l•lga ndrew. 11 Maple Avenue Sudbury, MA 01776 Check Ii l ......... .......... .. ... J an Witt, 16516 25'1' Street N , Shoreline WA 981 55 Sp cie Manual .. ....... ... ... .. .. ... ob Prie . 602 An tire R ad. High Ridge. MO 63049 Resear h Grants .. ... Or. Joh n Ta I r. W. niver it Hgt . Ori . , Flag raff. AZ 86001 Di spla ardens ... Penny Aguirre, 2J45 Decatur venue N.. olden Valley, MN 55427 Adopt-A- pecies ..................... Bob Pries. 602 An tire R ad Hi gh Ridge, MO 63049 A, ards .................... Barbara ch mieder. 566 Id Road to NAC, Concord MA 01742 Pa t Pr ident ........ ... Dr. Richard Ki omoto, 486 kiff treet, orth Ha n. T 06473 Ed itor . .. .. .. raham War • -7A Round ake RR#3. rmstrong, B VOE- I BO Director Jennifer He, in (200 I) Ha garth, le ton t.Mary. leobury M rtimer, Kiddem1inster, YI 40Q , ngland Ke in Vaughn (2001) P.O. Box 3550, tone ill , M 38776 Dr. John Taylor (2003) 1421 W. ni v. Hgts. Dr. S., Flag taff, AZ 8600 I Darrell Pr bst (2003) 63 Williamsvi lle Rd .. Hubbardston MA 0 1452 ) Contents President's Message ........................................................................... 3329 Editor's orner ..........................................................•.................... 3330 Rare Iris of Russia-Part 3-lris ludwigii, George Rodionenko ...................... 3331 Iris ludwigii watercolor picture ............................................................ 3334 Alopltia dr11mmo11dii, A Deep South Iris, Rodney Barton ............................. 3335 Pen and Ink drawing of A. drummo11dii, Artist hristy Hensler ..................... 3337 Alopbia drummondii color picture ....................................................... 3338 hristy Hensler, "In Her Own Words" ................................................... 3339 A Cytological Point of View of Iris germanica, Harald Mathes ..................... 3340 Profile of Harald Mathes ..................................................................... 3342 Autumn DeHghts, Schizostylis cocci11ea & some of its cultivars, Jennifer Hewitt 3343 Iris 1111ij1ora var. carici11a - OT! , James Waddick .. .. .. .. ... .. .. .. .. -l5 Species Sea ·on in Mis ·i ·sip pi, Kevin C. Vaughan ....................................... 3 46 Iris 'Phil dingcr' color picture ............................................................ 33.aS ;enesi of the SIGN Medal , Bob Pries ................................................ 33.a9 Hail to Hager- Hybridizcr of Phil dinger ............................................... 3351 Lorena Reid Hybridizer of Dotted Line ......................................... ........ 3352 I ri · 'Dotted Line' color picture ............................................................. 3353 .John W od, the lri:- Bob Prie ............................................................. 3355 .lohn Wood, the an also omination Committee Announcement ................ 3356 1999 Registrations and Introductions ..................................................... 3357 <) UESTION AlltE ................. .......... ................................................ 33(,3 PRESIDENT'§ MESSAGE Dear SIGNA Members: When you has printed the color pages on his state of receive this issue of the SIGNA the art computer system. Newsletter, I will already be in New The Board is struggling with the Zealand at the New Zealand Iris Society decision as to how to finance SIONA. Symposium 2000 where I'll meet up with Realistically, our dues do not even cover SIONA members from all over the the costs of this publication in just plain, world. It should be an exciting three o ld black and white! weeks as my husband George and I will Our dues are some of the lowest in all of join others for two after convention Iris the AIS sections yet you receive twice tours of both islands. the material. We will most likely vote for Next May we also plan to attend the dues increases this spring to prevent the Median Odyssey 2001 Convention that reduction in the size of the Newsletter. I is being sponsored by the Iris Society of repeat, please send back your responses Massachusetts. I hope that you'll to the questionnaire and help us decide consider joining us as many New these issues. Englanders grow a great many species r am very happy that Colin Rigby has that will be guested there as well. We've volunteered to take on the SIONA always had a great time at the section Website- www.signa.org. This is in conventions m Massachusetts as a addition to the printing and mailing of the certain, transported southerner sets a Newsletter! (I knew he couldn't retire gracious tone and great hospitality is completely.) My stepson, Paul Lankow, shown there. Contact Marcia Connoly, 6 will continue to do the actual posting Green Way, Chelmsford, MA 01824- while Colin does the design for the 4809 USA for more information. webpage. ff you have any features or In this issue you wiU find a ideas for the webpage, please contact questionnaire asking how you feel about Colin directly at his e-mail address­ SIGNA and our Newsletter. I commend po [email protected] our new editor, Graham Ware, for I have just received a report from our developing it as he shows that he is Seed Exchange Chairs, Jan Sacks and conscientiously attempting to further Marty Shafer, that we've received much improve the quality of this publication. more seed this year than last. Thanks to So, please, answer this questionnaire and everyone for contributing. Remember give us your comments about how you that you have to be a member to receive think SIGNA is doing. We cannot the seed list. So, if your membership respond to your wishes if we do not expires shortly then please be sure to know what they are. One of the renew it. It might also be a good questions in the questionnaire asks if you opportunity to tell your garden club would like to continue with color pages. acquaintances about this world class seed The Color Fund request in the last issue exchange and get them to join SIGNA. has not been successful with funds for There is a handy membership form on the only one page. We thank those who have seed exchange list. contributed especially those members of I wish you all a wonderfol holiday season the Board and specifically Bob Pries who and with that I am off to New Zealand! 33::29 Editor's Corner As you can see even before you got to and the fun that comes from being close Editor's Corner. this issue is quite to the action. Contact Will Plotner. revolutionary on 'the face of it all'. We By now you will have received the Seed celebrate the premier winners of the List from Jan Sacks and Marty Schafer, Founders of SIONA Medal and the our Seed Exchange Chairs. This really is Randolph-Perry Medal in this issue and the backbone of SIONA. The exchange what better way than to have the cover in of germplasm is so vital to improving and color showing one of them? I realize that understanding the species. 1 would also this is quite a departure from the green like to refer members to an outstanding Gestetner cover created by Bruce SIONA issue published six years ago in Richardson years ago. l would like to Fall 1994 (#53). "Pollinating and think that we could have a color cover Germinating Irises" (pp 1940-1966] with thick paper every issue because it compiled by Darrell Probst is a treasure adds so much quality. We have Bob Pries and is available as a back issue from to thank for that (we do this a lot at Carla Lankow for $4. SIONA, don't we?) as he seems to have UPDATES: The /. pseudopumila story become a one man Color Fund. Thanks by Harald Mathes (pp 3300-01). Nigel Bob. 'Dotted Line' is our cover girl and Service has since found the colony on what a beauty Lorena Reid has created. Malta with Mathes help. As a result of More on that and Lorena herself are that trip, Service has sent Harald fo ur inside. As for our other winner, 'Phil rhizomes of the 40 chromosome count Edinger', do check out the piece, species that may or may not be /. "Species Season in Mississippi" by Kevin pseudopumila var. gozoensis. As Mathes Vaughan for more insights. says, " I don't want to rule out the We have a questionnaire in this issue possibil ity of a natural hybrid but I because it is time that we got some wonder which one could be entertained feedback from the membership on several for this cross? The amphidiploid theory important issues. It is on the very LAST of Randolph & Mitra in regards to 1. PAGF.- 3360. The executive felt the pumila is incorrect. T he fact that hybrids urgency to communicate to you as to between this species and /. allica are what the 'State of the Union' is, SIGNA­ fully fertile even as diploids seems to wise. Please take the time to respond to contradict this idea. The amphidiploid this very important questionnaire. theory is a most difficult