Juno (Scorpiris) - Season 2010

[arillady]

Davey Iris aucheri Shooting Star is just about a match with the royal purple aucheri that I grow.

[PeterT]

That would be exciting Otto if it proves to be I. leptorrhiza
Pat

paul christian is selling this fantastic juno here in the uk pat http://rareplants.co.uk/popuplargeimage.asp?s=vmiXpw563239&strImage=5098.jpg&strImageType=version&strPageTitle=Iris%20leptorhiza

Yes, and so is Jan Jilek

[arillady]

Sindper taken this evening after thunder, lightning and rain all day

[David Nicholson]

Pat, my understanding is exactly the same as Hans but I think I read somewhere that the original collection was of seed. There are a number of named clones eg. 'Leylek Ice' and 'Leylek Lilac'.

Pat, I think I was wrong in suggesting that the original collection was of seed. Here's a quote from Janis Ruksan's book "Buried Treasures"
"The 1990 KPPZ expedition from Gothenburg came across Iris aucheri in full bloom at Leylak Station. They collected some exceptional colour forms, including 'Shooting Star' with almost blackish-blue flowers with a white crest on the falls. 'Leylek Ice' with ice white flowers and a creamy yellow crest, 'Snow White'  with pure white flowers and 'Vigour' with deep blue flowers and very light blue almost white falls..........."

Doesn't answer your query as to what Leylek Station was but I suspect it was really a train or bus station. If you drop Janis an Email I'm sure he would clarify.

[arillady]

Thanks for the suggestion David to contact Janis - will do.

[Maggi Young]

Folks, I have the answer today, direct from Adil Guner of the Nezahat Gökyiğit Botanik Bahçesi ( the wonderful botanic garden at Istanbul, built in a motorway intersection..... www.ngbb.gen.tr )  who was the Speaker today for two great talks at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh for the SRGC 'late bulb day'.
As luck would have it, Adil showed us a wonderful slide of the Leylek region, with acres  upon acres of Iris aucheri..... sadly these are now all gone, the area heavily developed. The Lelylek Station refers to just that... a railway station!

[arillady]

Thanks Maggi - a railway station with bulbs?
These were naturally occuring in the area of the station?? Were they bred by the station master of the equivalent in Turkey.? or is it  like a botanic garden built at a highway intersection?
That is the first time I have seen a botanical garden at an intersection.

[Maggi Young]

As I understand it, Pat, the area  used to be rather wild and uninhabited and the flowers were just wild in the general vicinity of the station, which seems to have been somewhat remote.

The Botanic garden is spread over various "loops" in the motrway intersections, though mostly in one main large area- it is unique... there are (as yet!)  no other botanic gardens in such a situation anywhere in the world!


 There is not much problem with pollution in the garden, in spite of the traffic, because of strong prevailing winds in the area blowing engine fumes away.

One of the main aims of the garden is to educate people about the rich diversity of the Turkish flora so that is what drives their collection. They hope by 2015 to have 80 per cent of the native flora represented in the garden.... with some 8500 or so species, that is no mean goal! I think they're at about 30 per cent  now and concentrating  on geophytes.

 They have lots of projects to engage children ,too, which is a great idea. 

[arillady]

Yes it is a pretty amazing place to site a botanic garden. Thanks for the extra info Maggi. Just a pity that progress seems to diminish the native plants in an area.
Now I would like a year of release of Sindpers if anyone has the details - I edit a one page newsletter for the South Australian Iris Society. Just a few pictures and words to describe whatever I have featured. This month will be the few junos that have flowered recently. Been educating our members on species as much as possible

[Maggi Young]

Iris 'Sindpers  (syn. Iris  x sindpers T. Hoog)

 - from the Plant Awards 1993-1994 AGS bulletin 62/427 , written by Tony Hall when the plant was given an AM (Award of Merit ) from the  RHS Joint rock plant committee when "shown on 26th January 1993 by the Director, RBG Kew "

"Iris 'Sindpers' was raised by Thomas Hoog (of the famous bulb-company van Tubergen)  in the 1920s, and gained an A.M. from the Dutch in 1933. This is the loveliest of all Juno hybrids, combining the tractability and large, ruffled flowers of Iris aucheri ( syn. I sindjarenesis) with the dwarfness and delicate, translucent colouring if Iris persica . "

I can photograph the whole report and post this later if required. 

[arillady]

Maggi I would love a copy of the report when you have a chance.
Thanks again.

[Maggi Young]

Will do, Pat.

[arillady]

Another juno flowering for the first time and it has lost its tag but looking at the SIGNA database site it has to be Iris magnifica

[Maggi Young]

Sorry for the delay... here is the Irs 'Sindpers' report by Tony Hall from the AGS Bulletin of the Plant Awards pages :

[arillady]

Thanks so much Maggi