Iris and some Irids 2011

[Lesley Cox]

Just while on the ID subject can anyone identify this arilbred for me please? I bought it once as susiana. NOT.

[Hans A.]

Lesley,are you sure your beautiful Iris is an Arilbred? -the shape of the flower indicates an Oncohybrid (arilbreds rarly have such perfect Onco looking flowers - exceptions may be some newer Arilbreds of Pete Mc Grath and Caroline Chacon). Do not think yours has a cultivar name, but I might be wrong (have hardly any experience with Oncohybrids).

Here first Iris suaveolens started to flower.

[BULBISSIME]

Superb Hans !
Looks like in the wild... (except onco leaves in the background  )

[Lesley Cox]

Hans I'm not at all sure that it isn't an onco hybrid. It came to me as susiana maybe 15 years ago and the source had had it from a private importation under that name so it has been in NZ at least 20 years, probably more so it isn'r a new form. It has proved reilable because even though it fails to flower occasionally if I've let it get neglected and overgrown with other things, a tidy up and some high potassium fertilizer brings it back to bloom the next spring. I'd not wish to be without it.

[arillady]

Lesley I have asked a couple of ASI members for their thoughts. I will let you know more later.

[Regelian]

Lesley,

take a look at the rhizome.  A pure onco or regelia would have a very distinct look, not resembling a typical bearded iris.  They are finer and tend to have the look of small, round bodies connected to each other, rather than the thick ginger-like look of a classic bearded or arilbred.  I'm pretty sure yours is an arilbred with very good form.  It reminds me of plants from Sharon McAllister's hybridising work.

[arillady]

Pete McGrath has suggested:
"It could possibly be Golden Lavender by David Shahak.

Wayfaring Stranger by Gene Hunt?

 Looks a little like Welcome Reward but probably not enough veining in the standards."

From the ASI checklist:
GOLDEN LAVENDER  OGB+  (David Shahak, R. 1980).  Sdlg. ST 76S.  AB, 25.5” (65 cm), L.  S. lavender with yellow veins; F. light yellow brown heavily dotted blue purple toward dark purple signal; brown yellow beard.  I. samariae x S T 72-126, arilbred seed).  Tira Nurseries, 1980.  [AAT]
 
WAYFARING STRANGER  OGB  (Eugene Hunt by Sharon McAllister, R. 1988).  Sdlg. ORB 88-2.  AB, 29" (74 cm), E-M.  S. lavender; F. smoky tan with violet flush and smoky red dotting and veining from hafts to beard; deep maroon signal; grayed orange beard.  Parentage lost.  Aril Society, 1988. 

WELCOME REWARD  OB  (Eugene Sundt by Lois Rich, R. 1971).  Sdlg. S59119.  AB, 27" (69 cm), L.  S. lilac veined deeper, bronze flush part way up rib; F. gold bronze, haft veined mahogany on gold, pinkish flush on lower half; dark brown signal; golden brown beard; gold style crests.  Austin W142-O (onco interspecies) X Pink Formal.  Aril Society, 1971.  [44chr]  [AATT]  [SP & PP] 

[Regelian]

Welcome Reward was the first to come to mind, but it doesn't look quite right.  May be a child of WR.  Sharon McAllister used this plant extensively in her earlier breeding, as have quite a few others.

[arilnut]

Here they are for comparison Lesley.

Lesley's unk
Golden Lavender    1980     OGB+  over 1/2 aril blood 
Wayfaring stranger  1988   OGB    1/2 aril blood

John B

[Hans A.]

It has proved reilable because even though it fails to flower occasionally if I've let it get neglected and overgrown with other things, a tidy up and some high potassium fertilizer brings it back to bloom the next spring.

Doubt any Onco would stand this in NZ - should be an Arilbred like Golden Lavender John has posted, even OGB+ have the fame of not beeing the easiest to grow.

[arillady]

True Hans it would need a lot of tb blood in it.
Thanks John for putting all the photos together.
Lesley I am hoping that Adele and Wayne Harrison in Central Otago who grow lots of arilbreds will do an article for the ASI Yearbook.

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks for everyone's thoughts and suggestions. I'm positive it is not either of the two pictured below mine. The falls of mine are a clear lavender, while the others seem to have less colour.

To my shame, it HAS been quite neglected from time to time and didn't flower this last spring as a result. It is still growing quite well but does need lifting, dividing and replanting with some high potash fert as suggested. It is, at present almost entirely overgrown and obscured by a larger-than-it-should-be plant (shrubby) of Salvia microphylla. I'd have to say that given the neglect, it actually is very easy to grow, but it does remain aridly dry through most summers when we rarely have rain and the large trough it occupies has a high grit/gravel content so perfect drainage even in a damp summer like the present one.

[Tom Waters]

Lesley,

I wouldn't be too quick to rule out 'Golden Lavender'. I think the photo is overexposed, bleaching out the standards. The description clearly states lavender standards. 'Wayfaring Stranger' appears to have yellow styles, which would rule it out.

I'm actually leaning toward 'Welcome Reward', which has the advantage of having been much more widely distributed than the other two, and being only 1/2 aril, probably easier to maintain in your climate that 'Golden Lavender'.

Tom

[Tom Waters]

Photo of 'Welcome Reward'

[Lesley Cox]

The shape is different Tom especially in the standards which cup over to make a globe, they don't point upwards. The colouring in my pic is just about true.