Reticulate Iris 2009

[David Nicholson]

For Paul in particular, and for others who may not have seen it, last year Chris (Hristo) put together a montage of images of Iris reticulata forms. If anyone would like a copy of the larger file send me an Email to my private address.

[Paul T]

David,

Yes, I recall the pic from Chris.  I think it is still here on the forums as well.

Here's a couple more pics taken yesterday.  All are first flowerings for me....

Iris reticulata 'Natasha' (sorry about the label in the background)
Iris winowgradowii - white hybrid.  Brand new this year, but I am concerned that the little blue markings may indicate virus?    A real shame if it IS the case, as I love it.  Might try to set seed on it (and from it) this season.  Do others think it IS virus, or could it be environmental?
Iris reticulata 'Edward' (the standards are curled over to the side because there has been roaring winds the last few days and everything is on an angle.

Click on the pics for a larger version.

[Paul T]

I just realised I forgot one....  A pic of the clump of the unknown pale blue in flower.  Just to show that they all have that spidery smaller look to them and that the first flower wasn't an aberration. 

[Lesley Cox]

There used to be one around many years ago called I. reticulata 'Cyanea' which was a pale blue version of the old retic. Maybe?

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Great retics Paul !
Dont't know about the white winogradowii being virused or not - I do remember seeing another I. w. hybrid somewhere that wasn't entirely white either... 

[Paul T]

Lesley,

There is a hint of 'Cyan' (the colour) to my eye in the colour of my iris (that aqua I was talking about) but there doesn't seem to be much at all on the Net about it.  Anyone reading this have pictures to show us?

Luc,

I am hoping that the little blue marks are just colour irregularities.  There do seem to be a certain amount of them in some of the other hybrids, but I was hoping someone could give me more of an idea of what they are?  They could just be a slight instability, after all  it can be clearly seen that this white hybrid is definitely blue-ish in the falls etc.  I hope it is OK.  Roaring wind again today so I didn't get out and do some pollinating... hopefully tomorrow I can start some little retic/histrioides type seeds on the way. 

[Janis Ruksans]

Iris winowgradowii - white hybrid.  Brand new this year, but I am concerned that the little blue markings may indicate virus?    A real shame if it IS the case, as I love it.  Might try to set seed on it (and from it) this season.  Do others think it IS virus, or could it be environmental?
[

Paul, unfortunately I must confirm that it is virus! Sorry... I think it not comes from my stock. It is sterile. I didn't find any between my plants and as those hybrids (Kath.Hodgh. and others) are often infected every spring I'm checking flowers very carefully.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Attached is picture from my inside grown pot of winogradowii alba.
Janis

[David Nicholson]

very nice indeed Janis.

[mark smyth]

good enought to eat!

[BULBISSIME]

WONDERFULL Janis !!!!
I never had success with this species, and your's is fantastic,... and the pale colour 
How do you grow it ?

[Janis Ruksans]

WONDERFULL Janis !!!!
I never had success with this species, and yours is fantastic,... and the pale colour 
How do you grow it ?

Most of it's bulbs are grown on ordinary nursery bed on SW faced slope where it stay without replanting up to 3 years. Soil is quite hard clay, now very damp, but bulbs are placed in coarse sand and covered with such (see BURIED TREASURES). For winter covered with peat moss. Only few bulbs for safety (I have great problems with rodents - this autumn they ate 20 kg of poisons and I was forced to go to factory to buy another 20 kg) are planted in pots which after frost season are placed outside in slightly shaded spot. In long dry periods they are watered once a week. Better crop is outside.
Janis

[BULBISSIME]

Thank's Janis §
I've BURIED TREASURES, (excellent  ) but It's also nice to get more precise indications for a species.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Gorgeous I. winowgradowii  Janis !

[Janis Ruksans]

I started to work with last seasons pictures and found something not noted during flowering season. In summer 2008 I got few bulbs of Iris kolpakowskiana collected near Kashka-Su in Kyrgyzstan which bloomed last spring. In Buried Treasures I'm describing new species from this group with white rimmed fall and intermediate between winkleri and kolpakowskiana - Iris pskemense. It is high alpine plant as well as I. winkleri. Iris kolpakowskiana is foothill species, but must be separated in two. Plants with white blotch without any yellow on fall is growing everywhere in mountains around Tashkent (Uzbekistan), I checked more than 10 localities during my trips and no one specimen with yellow were found. Near Alma Ata (Kazakhstan) is growing completely different plant with deep yellow in middle of falls, rarely are plants with some white added, but no one without dominating yellow, even albinos-es has deep yellow at base of falls. Those from Kyrgyzstan surprised me being intermediate - with distinct yellow zone surrounded by white. Pity, I saw only few flowers, so I can't judge how typical is this coloration and a level of variation as it was possible with plants named by me as var. almaatensis and var. tashkenticum (names are not legalized, and one according rules must be changed to var. typica). Problem is that I. kolpakowskiana is described as plant with yellow blotch collected near Tashkent, but there are not growing such. So question is - to which one must be applied epithet Iris kolpakowkisna var. kolpakowskiana (typica) - to Tashkent plant by the place from where is reported type specimen (most possibly not correctly) or to plants from Almaty which more correspond with original description.
Janis