Iris gracilipes

[ChrisB]

I wonder if one of you learned Iris people will be able to confirm this is in fact Iris gracilipes, bought by me from a plant stall rather than a nursery, and also tell me if it is unusual for the upper foliage to become like a fall as this one has done.  The other flowers on the stem were normal, this was the final flower to open and I thought it had four falls til Sue pointed out it was a standard that had become coloured like a fall.

[Paul T]

Chris,

It looks about right from my memory of it.  Has been a number of years since I last grew it.  I find that periodically any Iris can have a flower that mutates between a standard and a fall.  Sometimes flowers miss a petal, or else form 2 or 4 sets instead of the traditional 3.  I don't know whether that species is prone to it or not.  I'd forgotten just how nice it is.... must track it down again one of these years.

[ChrisB]

Thanks Paul, just what I wanted to know never grown one that behaves like this before, so it was quite interesting to see it develop.