Reticulate Iris-2012

[Tom Waters]

It is dry here (25 cm average annual rainfall) and hot in summer, but we are at a high elevation (2000 m), so we get serious cold in winter, and it takes quite a while to warm up in spring.

[Janis Ruksans]

Part of Iris reticulata bed today and some reticulatas of today (2 entries)
Janis.

[Janis Ruksans]

Most likely Iris zagrica and I. reticulata subsp. kurdica
Janis

[udo]

Nice Retics, Janis! Especially the Iris McM 98-OO-2 have a good colour. Is this similar Iris   'Coffee Brown' ?

Here the best white form, Iris reticulata 'White Caucasus'

[David Nicholson]

I still don't rate Iris retic. 'White Caucasus' as a white, it always has a blue tinge to it. Very nice clump though Dirk and very well grown.

[Janis Ruksans]

Various Iris reticulata from Iran.
Janis

[udo]

Iris zagrica with a wither flower.
For this species typically which snaps blossom and drops. With Iris reticulata the blossom dries up and remains with the seedcapsule.

[arilnut]

Janis, I love Mcm 98-00-2.  Here is my Winogradowii.

John B

[Janis Ruksans]

Here still reticulatas in full bloom.
At first three Iris reticulata from Caucas:
Purest white which I got from Zhirair
Reported as white - White Caucasus - really slightly bluish, but good enough, may be slightly lighter than Natasha but of better form. As Alan wrote me that it is purest white, I suppose that it was multiplied in laboratory by meristem culture and so it lost its whitness
The very light blue - another got from Zhirair
All three are good growers
And in addition one reticulata from Iran (WHIR-133) and
very typical Iris zagrica.
As last in this entry the very best I. histrioides from Soganli pass (very rare there).
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

In this entry two pictures of Iris kolpakowskiana. The first I grow up from seeds baught from Jan as collected in China, but I can’t find any note that Iris kolpakowskiana would be found in China. Really it looks as kolpakowskiana from around Tashkent - in W part of area. In direction to east it is replaced by another one - here you can see sample from Alma-Ata. Everywhere around Tashkent you will find only forms with white blotch on falls, but more to east it is replaced with plants marked yellow on falls. If Jan’s plant would have yellow blotch - I would be thinking that may be it enters somewhere China, but now I think that it is incorrect information.
Iris winkleri and pskemense always flowers much later. Now they have only buds. Weather is cold and so development is very slow.
Janis

[Janis Ruksans]

Iris bakeriana I baught from Dutch grower but it turned virus infected. I handpollinated those plants, isolated from rest of collection and got seeds. From those came up very typical plants and completely healthy. It is good way to recover infected species, unfortunately not allways they are fertile - in many cases virus infected junos and retics become sterile. Fortunately this was nice exception.
Next are three seedlings of Alan McMurtrie - one of them named - 'Orange Glow' at start of blooming. Unfortunately at 3-5 day of blooming orange shade pales to dark yellow, but in any case it is the first reticulata with orange in flower. Last of them I got without label.
Janis

[ronm]

Superb Retic's Janis. Something I'll try to emulate in the years to come!

Interesting I. kolpakowskiana ( the one from Jan ). I also cannot find any record of it ever being found in China. I did find a picture which appears to be the same flower ( taken by John Lonsdale and on the Pacific Bulb website ), but unfortunately no record of its origin.

[Otto Fauser]

Janis, I am amazed at the variety of beautyful reticulata Irises you grow . I can only dream about them .

I managed to grow one I. kolpakowskiana from seed received from Jan which he states was collected in China - but you think it is not possible . here is a photo of mine ,but your photos are of a much superior quality .

[Lesley Cox]

I remember that JJ list kolpakowskiana from 3 locations a few years ago, one of which was China. I ordered all three but of all the seeds I had in that order, only these irises failed to germinate.

[Janis Ruksans]

Janis, I am amazed at the variety of beautyful reticulata Irises you grow . I can only dream about them .

I managed to grow one I. kolpakowskiana from seed received from Jan which he states was collected in China - but you think it is not possible . here is a photo of mine ,but your photos are of a much superior quality .

Yours plant looks very interesting - I never before saw with almost none light blotch on falls. If mine would be such - I may be would accept that this is special Chinese form, but now I think that it is only marginal form from Tashkent district. I'm going in May to SE Kazahstan - the borderland with China, so will check - if there will found some kolpakowskiana - then I could agree that this Iris can enter China, but at present - it is very doubtful.
Janis