Iris polakii - confused with I. barnumae- notes from Brian Mathew

[Janis Ruksans]

Rafa

I can easily understand the confusion.

Janis thinks that 'Moleskin' is not a hybrid and is a species in its own right - what we have seen in the wild are colour forms of Moleskin. just like the many colour forms of Iris meda.

I await futher information from the botanists.

I think the same. So named "moleskin" is new species, different from meda and, although very variable, really not so variable as meda.
Janis

[YT]

As Diane mentioned, seeds of "JJA584.750 : IRIS BARNUMAE f. PROTONYMA" look Iris polakii. I bought the seeds from JJA and sowed Nov. 2008. Now a seedling is blooming its first time here

Seed of this plant was distributed by Jim & Jenny Archibald and it appeared in their seed list as
JJA584.750 : IRIS BARNUMAE f. PROTONYMA (Sect. Oncocyclus)  Iran, West Azerbayejan, N of Khoi, Khamsian pass. 1585m. Residual steppe between cultivated areas.  (Possibly the first time material of this sumptuous, dwarf steppe-plant has been available since the 1960's. Beautifully proportioned flowers in pure, penetrating, rich red-violet. The standards are slightly paler than the falls with their glossy, black-violet signal-patches below distinctive beards of dense, short, black hairs, like patches of moleskin. The black-bearded race is endemic to NW Iran and this colony has the finest forms we have seen.)
I was lucky enough to buy a small plant from Jenny Archibald after Jim's death and on the back of the label Jim has written "= I polakii"

[Hans A.]

Perfect grown plant!
Congratulation Yamanaka!

[arillady]

Yes - Congratulations Yamanaka!
Beautiful plant

[YT]

Hans and Pat, thank you My place fits for growing aril irises in pots. The only thing is we have a rainy season from end of spring to early summer here. I have to move the iris pots to dry corner during its dormant period.

[Eveline]

Please, do you agree, that this is Iris polakii?