Iris and some Irids 2010

[Miriam]

I have not done a test to see what happens if you only do one standard. You probably only have seed in that third of the pod. Anyone know for sure???

Pat,
If you place pollen on one stigma it is enough for creating a pod full with seeds. There are two more stigmas in the flower in order to increase the chances for pollination\fertilization in nature.There is no need to place pollen on 3 sides (3 stigmas). However, you can place on 2 stigmas to be completely sure.

[Maggi Young]

I have not done a test to see what happens if you only do one standard. You probably only have seed in that third of the pod. Anyone know for sure???

Pat,
If you place pollen on one stigma it is enough for creating a pod full with seeds. There are two more stigmas in the flower in order to increase the chances for pollination\fertilization in nature.There is no need to place pollen on 3 sides (3 stigmas). However, you can place on 2 stigmas to be completely sure.

Oh, Miriam, you have stopped all my thoughts of promiscuous fun with some Iris next spring! 

[Lesley Cox]

Well you could put three different pollens on the 3 lips and hope for the best. There surely would be a CHANCE of 3 different batches of seed. It would be a race to the finish line to see which pollen turned out to be dominant.

A (late and unattached) friend always said he wasn't interested in sex per se, there was plenty in the garden to keep him occupied.

[Lesley Cox]

Kees just get some tweezers and grab a stamen and then hold a standard between thumb and forefinger of other hand and there should be a bit of a lip just down from the outer edge of the standard. Wipe the stamen - if it has pollen - against the lip on each standard. I have not done a test to see what happens if you only do one standard. You probably only have seed in that third of the pod. Anyone know for sure???

Sorry to go on about this, but it is not the STANDARD that has the stigmatic lip (stigma) attached but the style arm. (See above) Putting pollen on the standard will produce nothing but a messy standard. I know that Pat knows this, so just a slight (far from) senior moment.

[arillady]

Yes yes yes a very senior moment. 
I should have looked up a diagram before replying - when I don't I sometimes do make stupid mistakes.
Thanks all for correcting my posting.

[Kees Green]

Thanks for the advise, I will do my best and advise of the outcomes.
That picture really helps Maggi.

[Maggi Young]

Yes yes yes a very senior moment. 
I should have looked up a diagram before replying - when I don't I sometimes do make stupid mistakes.
Thanks all for correcting my posting.

Ian and I are in the same boat, Pat! I don't know why we have always had these problems with Iris! 

[David Nicholson]

I had a piece of gionocarpa from the Wallaces about four years ago, it has not flowerd for me but too dry is definately not a good idea,  I speak from the experiance of nearly loosing it, there is almost no rhizome to hold a reserve of food or water. It is in growth now,

As far as Iris goniocarpa is concerned I'm flummoxed about mine. I bought it last year, around early August, and it had a couple of straggly green shoots about 3" long. I potted it up and gave it a drop of water every so often and it kept the short straggly growth and quite frankly it hasn't changed. Where am I going wrong

Nobody going to put me right on Iris goniocarpa

ie spring/ summer. will try to post some more on it. what does your gionocarpa look like David?
Roma, thanks for info on Gerald Darby - It has let me identify it and it is in bud.
The clay idea has worked for me too Jamie, when I have had plants in pure grit -to sprout them or for whatever reason, and need to get something round the roots for them to grow on.

Hi Peter,

Sorry about the delay in replying to this it had quite slipped my mind. Here's a pic of my Iris goniocarpa today.

[Lesley Cox]

Pat, I said (far from) senior moment, because somehow senior sounded less objectionale than middle-aged moment. You surely haven't reached Senior status yet.

Maggi if you have problems with Iris it's because you spend too much time with Erythroniums. If only we could be quite sure of an afterlife, and lived as we would like, we could devote whole lifetimes to erys in the sure and certain knowledge that there will be time for irises later. Personally, I feel it's important to cram as much in as possible now because I suspect that later there will be....Nothing!

[PeterT]

Maggi if you have problems with Iris it's because you spend too much time with Erythroniums. If only we could be quite sure of an afterlife, and lived as we would like, we could devote whole lifetimes to erys in the sure and certain knowledge that there will be time for irises later. Personally, I feel it's important to cram as much in as possible now because I suspect that later there will be....Nothing!

Thus spake Andrew Marvell, only it wasn't Erythroniums on HIS mind, nor even sex with an Iris, at least I don't think her name was  Iris

Thanks for getting back with that David, I'll try to picture mine, where did you get your gionocarpa?

[Hristo]

Lesley, maybe one should stipulate burial under / scattering of ashes over a rare iris?
Can't get much more involved in their growth than that eh?
Personally I'm getting scattrered over a mountain top wick with Nigretella, or maybe
a slope of Iris reichenbachii, so many species, so little ash 

[David Nicholson]

Thanks for getting back with that David, I'll try to picture mine, where did you get your gionocarpa?

..... from Rannveig last year. Peter, we have a spelling issue You refer to 'gionocarpa' my plant is 'goniocarpa'. The only reference I can find to 'gionocarpa' is in the SIGNA Database and relates to Iris attica?

[Graham Catlow]

Hi,
Could someone please put this iris into a particular group for me please. (I had no idea there were so many types of iris until I joined the forum). It is bulbous if thats the correct term for an iris and the coating is very fibrous. I has masses of grass like foliage which is very flacid and begins to die down as the flowers appear.
Hope thats enough information. I don't expect a name but would be very pleased if someone knows.

As you will have gathered from various posts in a variety of threads I went through a stage of not retaining plant names and now wish I hadn't.

Graham

[Gail]

Iris latifolia would be my guess and a lovely colour form!

See http://www.avonbulbs.co.uk/iris-latifolia-king-of-the-blues_1273_1265.htm
- though their photo looks more purplish

[Graham Catlow]

Iris latifolia would be my guess and a lovely colour form!

See http://www.avonbulbs.co.uk/iris-latifolia-king-of-the-blues_1273_1265.htm
- though their photo looks more purplish

Wow Gail that was a quick response. Thanks.
Mine is a true blue. The Avon Bulbs photo is as you say more purple but that I suppose could be the just the photo.

Graham