vision 
 
 Agricultural Sciences 
 
 COPY 2 
 
 CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL 
 Experiment Station 
 Extension Service 
 
 MANUAL 30 
 
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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
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 University of California, Davis Libraries 
 
 http://archive.org/details/irisesforhomegar30butt 
 
'Aided- 
 
 FOR THE HOME GARDENER 
 
 H. M. BUTTERFIELD 
 
 Agriculturist Emeritus 
 
 Agricultural Extension Service 
 
 Berkeley 
 
 This manual is one of a series published by the University of California 
 Division of Agricultural Sciences and sold for a charge that returns 
 only a portion of the production costs. By this means it is possible 
 to make available publications which, due to relatively high costs of 
 production, or limited audience, would otherwise be beyond the scope 
 of the Division's publishing program. 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 DIVISION OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES 
 
 California Agricultural Experiment Station — Extension Service 
 
 :VERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Selecting your irises 3 
 
 Color in iris flowers 3 
 
 Popular iris species 4 
 
 Bulbous irises 4 
 
 Rhizomatous irises 5 
 
 Bearded 5 
 
 Beardless 9 
 
 Crested and fringed 11 
 
 Pest control 13 
 
 Iris diseases 14 
 
 Growing irises from seed 16 
 
 Iris species planted in California 22 
 
 Iris cultivars 24 
 
 Definition of terms 32 
 
 References 34 
 
 SEPTEMBER, 1961 
 
 Many superior forms of irises are avail- 
 able to the home gardener in California. 
 For the past 60 years, from the time of 
 Jemima Branin of San Lorenzo before 
 1900, the best of the irises have been 
 brought into California, and a great vari- 
 ety of striking hybrids have been de- 
 veloped. The transition of California iris 
 gardens from the 1920's to the 1960's is 
 almost unbelievable. 
 
 The author has had the opportunity to 
 follow these developments, as a grower of 
 irises in his own garden for more than 
 30 years; as a judge of seedling irises in 
 test gardens for the American Iris Soci- 
 ety; and as a personal observer of the 
 ivork of such California iris breeders as 
 William Mohr, Sydney B. Mitchell, Carl 
 Salbach, E. 0. Essig, and Stafford L. 
 Jory. He has seen the development of 
 control measures that have helped the 
 gardener protect his irises against dis- 
 eases and pests. He has observed the 
 emergence of an increasingly stronger 
 American Iris Society and its affiliates. 
 to appraise new iris cultivars and to aid 
 growers in many other ways. 
 
 This manual brings together informa- 
 tion about selection and culture of irises 
 for the benefit of the California home 
 gardener. 
 
vude4-> 
 
 FOR THE HOME GARDENER 
 
 H. M. BUTTERFIELD 
 
 </. 
 
 rises are popular garden flowers because they are hardy, long-lived, re- 
 quire little care, flower early in the year, and produce much color during their flower- 
 ing season. While most irises bloom in April and May, some produce bloom in the 
 summer and fall and a few in winter when other flowers are scarce. Their greatest 
 appeal to the gardener and fancier probably lies in the ease of culture and their fine 
 colors. Irises are being grown in all parts of California. Some native species grow 
 naturally under favorable local conditions and thrive in the wild garden. 
 
 SeLectLncj your "rises 
 
 YOUR CHOICE OF IRISES IS WIDE 
 WHEREVER YOU LIVE IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 Many excellent bearded and tall beard- dry, warm summers in parts of the 
 
 less irises have been developed in Cali- Mother Lode country and in parts of 
 
 fornia gardens because conditions are southern California allow some of these 
 
 unusually favorable for these introduced aril irises to survive; for this reason 
 
 cultivars and species. In certain areas of they are listed by a few California iris 
 
 California, having warm dry weather in nurseries. It is safe to say that prac- 
 
 the growing season, some of the most tically every home gardener in Califor- 
 
 unusual irises can be grown, such as the nia can grow one or more kinds of irises 
 
 Oncocyclus, Regelias, and hybrids. The and grow them well. 
 
 GoLor in Oris ^flowers 
 
 COLOR IS A PRIMARY CONSIDERATION 
 IN THE SELECTION OF IRISES 
 
 The colors in the various groups of bearded irises of gardens because colors 
 irises differ greatly. This manual dis- in this group have been carefully studied 
 cusses the color range in the popular and classified; do not overlook, however, 
 
 [3] 
 
the interesting colors in other iris 
 groups. The listings of species and cul- 
 tivars on pages 22 to 33 call attention 
 to important color considerations. 
 
 A wide variety of color combinations 
 permits blends and contrasts. Consider 
 such color combinations when you are 
 planting so there will be no color con- 
 flicts and the colors will furnish the 
 greatest appeal. 
 
 The color forms of bearded irises in- 
 clude blue, coral or pink and variants, 
 red or near red, yellow, and purple. 
 White is an absence of color; however, 
 many white irises have a bluish or yel- 
 lowish cast. Each of these color forms 
 may be further classified. The blue may 
 be light, medium, or dark. The pink may 
 appear as rose-pink, coral, or flamingo 
 pink, peach pink, pinkish buff, apricot 
 pink, or orchid pink; there are also pink 
 blends. The red sometimes is brown-red 
 or crimson-red, or maroon-red. The yel- 
 low may be pale, bright, or deep; a 
 greenish or chartreuse color is also 
 found. Irises also come in other colors — 
 tan, brown, copper, and bronze, some 
 approaching red. The purples may be 
 light, or dark, approaching black. 
 
 Color combinations are common. 
 The bicolors have contrasting colors be- 
 tween standards and falls. The plicatas 
 
 normally have a light ground stippled, 
 dotted, or edged with a darker color. 
 
 The bicolors have commonly been di- 
 vided into variegatas, amoenas, and neg- 
 lectas, with odd color combinations 
 classed as novelties. Usually the varie- 
 gatas have yellowish standards and red 
 or purple falls. Amoenas have a white 
 standard and purple falls. The neglectas 
 have lavender or light violet standards 
 and purplish falls. Occasionally a new 
 iris may have a reverse of colors. For 
 example, Wide World has white falls 
 and blue standards. 
 
 The color of the beard varies greatly. 
 Pinks with tangerine beards are popu- 
 lar. The beard may be white, yellow or 
 golden, orange, orange-red, bluish and 
 at times almost black, as in Black Taf- 
 feta. The color of the beard should com- 
 bine well with the color of the falls and 
 perhaps accentuate the color with some 
 contrast. 
 
 Unchanging colors: According to 
 the best evidence available, irises do not 
 change color. What happens in many 
 gardens is that in moving and replant- 
 ing, a small rhizome is broken off and 
 left unnoticed. It may take two or three 
 years to reach blooming size, but sud- 
 denly another color is noticed when the 
 rhizome does bloom. 
 
 \PoDutar uris S 
 
 pecies 
 
 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT CLASSIFICATION, 
 GROWTH HABITS, AND CULTURE OF POPULAR IRISES 
 
 The two main classes of irises of in- 
 terest to the gardener are bulbous irises 
 and rhizomatous irises. The rhizomatous 
 irises are further divided into three 
 groups: the bearded, the beardless, and 
 the crested and fringed irises. Their 
 growth habits and recommended culture 
 are discussed here. 
 
 BULBOUS IRISES 
 
 Bulbous irises include /. reticulata 
 (netted iris). /. tingitana (Tangiers 
 
 iris), /. xiphioides (English iris), and 
 /. xiphium (Spanish iris). The Dutch 
 bulbous irises are usually hybrids, popu- 
 lar for beds and borders. 
 
 Growth habits: Bulbous irises in- 
 crease by division of the mother bulbs. 
 Over a period of 4 or 5 years the plants 
 usually become so crowded that the 
 bulbs have to be lifted and replanted. 
 
 Culture: Plant the bulbs 4 or 5 
 inches apart, and at least 3 inches deep, 
 01 about as deep as tulips or daffodils. 
 
 [4] 
 
Select the larger bulbs for replanting. If 
 you want to make use of the smaller 
 bulblets, plant them where they can in- 
 crease in size and reach blooming size. 
 Plant bulbous irises in full sun in a 
 narrow bed or in rows. The heavier soil 
 types are best. Keep the soil moist all 
 through the growing season from De- 
 cember until April and May. The flow- 
 ering season will probably be over by 
 May; some varieties, like Wedgewood, 
 flower very early. 
 
 RHIZOMATOUS IRISES 
 
 Bearded irises 
 
 The bearded irises are grouped ac- 
 cording to the location of their beard, 
 into the Oncocyclus, the Regelia, and the 
 common bearded irises of the garden. 
 
 Oncocyclus irises 
 
 Oncocyclus irises have beards widely 
 scattered on the haft. One representative 
 of this group is Iris susiana (mourning 
 iris). 
 
 Growth habits: The mourning iris 
 and its many hybrids, as well as Iris 
 gatesi (monarch iris) and Iris lorteti 
 (Lebanon iris) flower from March to 
 May. In general, these irises thrive on 
 plenty of sun, a basic soil, good drain- 
 age, and dry summers. Some of their 
 hybrids may be treated much like the 
 common bearded irises. Usually On- 
 cocyclus need a generous supply of 
 moisture during the normal growing 
 season, but dry summer weather is im- 
 portant after flowering is over. The root- 
 stocks are somewhat more slender than 
 on the common bearded irises; there- 
 fore, do not move them until fall when 
 moist soil is expected. 
 
 Culture: see Regelias. 
 
 Regelia irises 
 
 Regelia irises are bearded on both 
 falls and standards. This group is rep- 
 resented by Iris hoogiana ( redbeard 
 iris) and /. korolkowi ( redvein iris). 
 
 They are sometimes crossed with On- 
 cocyclus irises, and these crosses are 
 often listed under Oncoregelias. Both 
 Oncocyclus and Regelias have arils on the 
 seeds and are known as aril irises. 
 
 Growth habits: The Regelias come 
 from Turkestan and the western slopes 
 of the Himalayas where summers are 
 dry and warm. They are a challenge to 
 gardeners in most parts of California 
 except in the lower part of southern 
 California and parts of the Mother Lode 
 country where warm, dry summers pre- 
 vail. As a rule they cannot tolerate the 
 moist soil conditions in summer pro- 
 vided for many of the common bearded 
 garden irises. They are not as exacting 
 as the Oncocyclus, but are often classed 
 with them for garden culture. Do not 
 try to grow Regelia irises where sum- 
 mer rains are expected. They should 
 have good soil drainage. Some hybrids 
 are easier to grow than the species. 
 
 Culture of Oncocyclus, Regelia, and 
 hybrids: This group of aril irises must 
 have warm, dry summers to survive. If 
 rains come, it may be necessary to dig 
 out the irises about June and to store them 
 until planting time the following Octo- 
 ber. Growth must be continuous from 
 October until the following June. The 
 Regelias are less exacting but will re- 
 spond to about the same culture as the 
 Oncocyclus group. A few of the hybrids 
 are almost as easy to grow as the com- 
 mon bearded irises. But few growers 
 live where summers are dry and warm 
 enough for the aril irises. 
 
 Common bearded or German 
 
 The common bearded, or German, 
 irises have beards only on their falls. 
 They constitute the great majority of 
 the bearded garden (eupogon) irises. 
 To this group belong Iris flavescens, 
 known only in gardens. /. germanica 
 (German iris), /. mesopotamica I mar- 
 din iris), /. pallida (sweet iris), /. pu- 
 mila (dwarf iris), and /. variegata 
 ( Hungarian iris) . 
 
 [5 
 
Growth habits: Most of the com- 
 mon bearded irises of gardens have 
 thick, fleshy rootstocks able to stand 
 summer drouth and some drying at 
 digging time. They flower from late 
 March through April and early May. 
 A few may flower in late summer into 
 fall. Most of the cultivars popular today 
 are hybrids derived mostly from the Ger- 
 man, the sweet, and the mardin irises. 
 Early German irises lacked height of 
 flower stem and size of flowers; extra 
 vigor, large flower size, and taller stems 
 were introduced through crosses with 
 the mardin iris and other tall-growing 
 irises. The crossing with the mardin iris 
 also has brought a decrease in cold 
 tolerance in many cases. Such differ- 
 ences in cultural conditions need to be 
 considered when you select common 
 bearded irises for your local climate. 
 New growth starts when flowering is 
 over and the offsets are usually well de- 
 veloped by late summer and fall. Growth 
 usually slows down in summer when 
 weather is hot. The rhizomes continue 
 their length growth, and side branching 
 is normal. In time a circular clump will 
 be formed and the oldest part of the 
 rhizome may die back. 
 
 Their growth habits make it advisable 
 to divide each clump every few years 
 and to transplant in late summer or fall 
 after the hottest weather is over. Good 
 soil drainage is needed to prevent some 
 of the rots. Dry weather usually helps 
 decrease leaf spots which attack some 
 of these irises. 
 
 Culture of the common bearded iris 
 is given here in detail as this group con- 
 tains some of the most popular garden 
 irises. 
 
 Planting of the iris rhizome should 
 be done as soon as possible to prevent 
 the roots from drying. Cut back the leaf 
 lip- to fanshape (sec photos on this and 
 next page) to reduce evaporation. Since 
 the outer leaf tips will continue to die 
 back after digging, this cutting back to 
 
 fanshape helps the rhizome to become 
 
 established in the new location. The roots 
 
 The leaves of a bearded iris cut to fanshape 
 ready for planting. Note that roots arise from 
 the underside of the rhizome. 
 
 are on the underside of the rhizome and 
 should be spread out so they will be able 
 to rest in moist soil. The oldest roots 
 will soon decline, but the new roots will 
 push out and anchor the rhizome in the 
 soil. The rhizome should sit in the shal- 
 low surface soil as a duck in water with 
 the top of the rhizome at the surface 
 (see photos on page 7, showing the 
 proper depth). Do not cover the grow- 
 ing tip with soil; this may encourage 
 rot and delay blooming. Firm the soil 
 about the roots so each active root will 
 come into contact with moist soil. If the 
 soil is not moist to start with you must 
 water to insure plenty of moisture. Do 
 not plant in soggy soil or where the soil 
 will be poorly drained at any time of 
 the year. If necessary, plant on raised 
 beds or ridges. In case the rhizome has 
 few roots it may be held upright with 
 the support of a small stake. 
 
 Bearded irises may be safely planted 
 from the end of the flowering season up 
 
 [6] 
 
Cutting back the leaves on an iris rhizome An iris rhizome planted with all of the roots 
 getting ready for planting. A sharp pair of covered but upper surface of the rhizome 
 scissors is suitable for this task. uncovered. 
 
 through September. Where summers are 
 very hot, delay planting until cooler 
 weather arrives in late summer. Sum- 
 mer planting is preferred if the weather 
 permits 
 
 Try to plant in a sunny location where 
 plenty of light will reach the rhizomes. 
 Too much shade may prevent flowers 
 from forming. Sunshine for at least half 
 the day is recommended. Only a few 
 species of irises will flower in the shade. 
 
 Dividing the old clumps becomes 
 necessary every 3 or 4 years when the 
 rhizomes in the circular clump (see 
 photo on page 8) become crowded. 
 
 Dig the entire clump. This gives you 
 a chance to dig the soil and put it in 
 good condition for replanting. With a 
 knife, cut away some of the oldest rhi- 
 zome portions lacking in vigor and dis- 
 card them unless the variety is scarce. 
 Plant the older pieces, if you use them, 
 by themselves and allow them to send 
 
 out new growth and form vigorous rhi- 
 zomes. Each new fan wanted for plant- 
 ing should have a rhizome about 3 to 5 
 inches long. 
 
 Where the soil is still in good physical 
 condition and there is no need to re- 
 plant in a better location, thin out the 
 old clump without disturbing the large 
 healthy growing fans. Cut off the back 
 part of each large rhizome to leave about 
 3 to 5 inches of the growing tip. In this 
 way, flowering will probably not be dis- 
 turbed. 
 
 Soil preparation is done in connec- 
 tion with the dividing of the iris clumps 
 every 3 to 5 years. Digging and pul- 
 verizing the compacted soil will put the 
 old soil into better physical condition. 
 Soil conditioners such as manure, sand, 
 peat moss, and perlite or other light min- 
 eral conditioners may be mixed in with 
 the pulverized soil to keep it from becom- 
 ing quickly compacted. Most bearded 
 
 [7] 
 
ris rhizome form a wide circle 
 
 Offsets of an 
 
 about the mother rhizome. Division should be 
 
 made before offsets become crowded. 
 
 irises grow very well in the heavier soil 
 types as long as the drainage is good. 
 The addition of lime is not required in 
 most California soils. Do not add lime or 
 wood ashes unless the soil is decidedly 
 acid. 
 
 Spacing of the rhizomes should be 
 not less than 8 to 12 inches apart. Set 
 three rhizomes of a variety in a group, 
 or set single plants in a row and label 
 them. If you have enough room and you 
 do not wish to replant for several years, 
 you may set the rhizomes as much as 15 
 inches apart. Irises need room to grow 
 and should not have to compete with the 
 roots of trees or shrubs. Plant in borders 
 or beds or corners where the flower 
 stalks will not be damaged by pedes- 
 trians. An all-iris garden is usually 
 planted in rows or in narrow beds. 
 
 Tillage is not essential as long as 
 Weeds are controlled and the soil does 
 not become too compacted. Shallow til- 
 lage in the open soil between rhizomes 
 
 will help the water and the fertilizer to 
 penetrate the soil. Avoid deep tillage 
 around the plants because iris roots are 
 shallow. Do not throw soil on the rhi- 
 zomes if you use a cultivator to control 
 weeds or to loosen the soil. 
 
 Fertilizing is ordinarily not needed 
 where the iris clumps are lifted every 3 
 or 4 years and the soil is reconditioned. 
 Where the soil is depleted in nitrogen 
 or other important plant nutrients, add 
 a moderate amount of nitrogen ferti- 
 lizer. Some growers add a liberal amount 
 of manure early each year. A manure 
 mulch applied about the time the rains 
 start in winter helps maintain soil fer- 
 tility. Too much fertilization, either 
 manure or commercial fertilizer, tends 
 to produce soft growth and increase bac- 
 terial soft rot. A teaspoon of ammonium 
 sulfate to the square foot is probably 
 enough for one application in the early 
 growing season. If you use a weaker ni- 
 trogen fertilizer, say 6 per cent nitrogen, 
 use it at the rate of about 3 teaspoons 
 per square foot. Ammonium sulfate con- 
 tains at least 20 per cent nitrogen. Regu- 
 late the amount according to the nitro- 
 gen content of the fertilizer. Avoid ex- 
 cessive use. Apply just before irrigation. 
 
 Grooming of the iris garden includes 
 removing old or diseased iris leaves. 
 Once a leaf starts to die back because of 
 old age, you can safely remove it. 
 
 The common practice of cutting back 
 green iris leaves rather heavily in sum- 
 mer is questionable. Cutting back healthy 
 green leaves as much as half their length 
 will help get rid of brown tips on the 
 leaves and will keep the garden looking 
 neat, but will weaken the plant. Only 
 where leaves will continue to die back is 
 such heavy cutting justified. Removing 
 the worst of the outer old leaves is all 
 that is really needed. 
 
 To tidy the garden, remove old flower 
 stalks left after the flowering season is 
 over. Cut the stalks off" next to the rhi- 
 zome or yank them back at a right angle 
 so that each stalk snaps o(T snugly 
 against the old rhizome. 
 
 i«i 
 
Mulching for winter protection is 
 not required under most California con- 
 ditions because the winters are not cold 
 enough to require a mulch for cold pro- 
 tection. Mulching is needed only where 
 winter temperatures are very low. 
 
 Beardless irises 
 
 This group of irises, also called apo- 
 gon (without a beard ) , has been divided 
 into several subsections with different 
 characteristics. The principal subsec- 
 tions are discussed here. 
 
 Japanese irises 
 
 Japanese irises. Iris kaempferi (Japa- 
 nese iris) and the related /. laevigata 
 (rabbit ear iris) and /. pseudacorus 
 (yellow-flag iris) belong to the subsec- 
 tion Laevigatae. 
 
 Growth habits: Japanese irises 
 thrive only with considerable summer 
 moisture and where the sun is not too 
 hot in summer. They flower in May or 
 later, usually a month after the German 
 group of bearded irises. The rootstocks 
 are more slender than on German irises, 
 and will not stand much drying. Plants 
 flower well near the ocean and further 
 inland where cool summers prevail. They 
 thrive in a fertile soil that is slightly 
 acid, although they have been grown 
 well in soils that contain some lime and 
 are slightly basic. They need a generous 
 supply of soil moisture and high soil 
 fertility. Under such conditions, Jap- 
 anese irises will bring forth large flowers 
 and tall stems. The cultivars vary in 
 height of flower stem and flower size. 
 There are both single- and double- 
 flowered cultivars, but only those with 
 several petals are popular. Hot weather 
 will cause a rapid deterioration of the 
 flowers, and some colors fade badly in 
 a hot sun. Japanese irises are difficult to 
 grow well in the drier and hotter parts of 
 California but flourish in parts of Oregon 
 and Washington. 
 
 Culture i Plant Japanese irises in the 
 cool coastal districts, especially from 
 
 central California northward. Sometimes 
 you can prepare a bog garden that will 
 furnish both high soil fertility and an 
 abundance of moisture. When trans- 
 planting these irises late in the year, do 
 not allow the rhizomes to dry out. 
 
 Native irises 
 
 Native irises, such as Iris douglasiana 
 (mountain iris), /. innominata, I. mac- 
 rosiphon (ground or tube iris), and 
 closely related species belong to the sub- 
 species Calif ornicae. 
 
 Growth habits: In general, natixe 
 irises grow where the soil remains moist 
 throughout the year, yet they remain 
 dormant during the dry summer and fall 
 months. The creeping rootstocks are 
 slender, yet the plants form clumps. Be- 
 cause the rhizomes are small, they will 
 not stand much drying. Planting on 
 slopes will help provide good drainage 
 which these native irises require. The 
 flowers are borne on slender stems. 
 
 Culture: Plant native species at 
 about the time when the rains begin. If 
 you transplant them to the garden along 
 about September or October until as 
 late as February, they should soon be- 
 come well established. Plant them in a 
 location that is not too hot or dry and 
 that provides good drainage. Water 
 carefully through the dry months as 
 long as the leaves are green. Once the 
 plants become established they require 
 little special attention except watering 
 during the dry months. 
 
 Siberian irises 
 
 Siberian irises belong to the sub- 
 species Sibiricae. 
 
 Growth habits: They form clumps 
 and have slender short rhizomes. The 
 flower stems vary in height but may 
 reach 2 to 4 feet in the different cultivars 
 offered. Flower size is much like that of 
 native California species, but the flower 
 stems are much longer. Fall planting is 
 the general rule. An abundance of soil 
 moisture and fertile soils are needed. 
 They are not quite as exacting as the 
 
 [9] 
 
Japanese irises. The foliage usually dies 
 down in winter and new growth starts 
 in early March. The plants are rarely 
 troubled with disease or pests. 
 
 Culture: Plant Siberian irises in a 
 fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Where 
 water is limited, the plants may be set 
 near a water hydrant so you easily can 
 keep the roots well watered throughout 
 the dry months. When the clumps be- 
 come badly crowded, divide them late 
 in the year. 
 
 Tall beardless irises 
 
 Tall beardless irises include such spe- 
 cies as Iris spuria (seashore iris), /. 
 graminae (grass iris), /. crocea or /. 
 aurea, I. monnier i (Monnier iris), and 
 
 /. ochroleuca (yellowband iris). They 
 belong to the subspecies Spuriae. 
 
 Growth habits: In general, the tall 
 bearded irises have flower stems that 
 reach a height of 3 to 4 feet under 
 favorable growing conditions. The flow- 
 ers are shaped more like the Siberian 
 and some bulbous irises than the com- 
 mon bearded irises of gardens. The sea- 
 shore iris has relatively small flowers of 
 blue-purple. The falls are only about 2 
 inches long, but crosses with the Mon- 
 nier iris greatly improved the size of 
 flower and also the color range. Yellow- 
 band iris is similar in height and growth 
 habit to the Monnier iris, but has a dif- 
 ferent color. Their similar growth habits 
 have justified the lumping of all the tall 
 
 Iris douglasiana (mountain iris) is a native iris that belongs to the sub-species Californicae. 
 
Flowers of a Siberian iris. New Blue. 
 
 beardless irises into one group, but selec- 
 tion and crossing have furnished us with 
 a wide color range in cultivars. The rhi- 
 zomes are sufficiently large to tolerate 
 considerable drouth and some warm 
 weather. When they become established 
 in good soil, the tall beardless irises are 
 as vigorous as the German bearded 
 irises. The tops die back each winter and 
 come up again about March. 
 
 Culture: Plant tall beardless irises 
 in the full sun in fertile, well-drained 
 soil. Divide them in the fall or early 
 winter months. Continue watering the 
 plants until the tops die down naturally. 
 Their rhizomes, much like those of the 
 common bearded irises, will tolerate 
 more drouth than many of the other 
 beardless irises. As the clumps become 
 badly crowded, the flower stems become 
 shorter and the flowers smaller, so di- 
 vide every few years to maintain better 
 growing conditions. 
 
 Winter-flowering 
 
 Winter-flowering irises, such as Iris 
 unguicularis (Algerian or winter-flower- 
 ing iris), belong to the subspecies of 
 Unguicularis. 
 
 Growth habits: Winter-flowering 
 irises grow much like our native species 
 but usually form a much denser clump. 
 Once established in fertile soil, they will 
 thrive for several years without special 
 attention. Plants flower well in either 
 full sun or partial shade. 
 
 Culture: Divide late in the summer 
 or early fall, so plants become estab- 
 lished during the winter months. Split 
 the old clumps apart and set out the 
 smaller divisions. When clumps become 
 crowded divide and replant again. Con- 
 trol of slugs and snails is essential to 
 keep the flower buds free from damage. 
 
 Miscellaneous beardless 
 
 Miscellaneous beardless irises found 
 in nursery catalogs include the Louisi- 
 ana irises, such as Iris fulva (copper 
 iris) and Iris foetidissima (Gladwin iris) . 
 
 The Louisiana irises thrive with 
 summer rains or regular summer irriga- 
 tion. They will stand full sun if the sun 
 is not too hot. They require about the 
 same conditions as the Siberians. The 
 rhizomes spread fast; when they get too 
 long, replant. If your locality has hot 
 summers, plant in an eastern exposure 
 to provide partial shade. 
 
 Gladwin Iris is a shade-tolerant iris 
 and needs a liberal amount of soil mois- 
 ture. The flowers are not much appreci- 
 ated, so plant where the seed pods can 
 ripen well during late summer. The seed 
 stalks are gathered after they mature 
 and used in flower arrangements. The 
 plants form vigorous clumps and need 
 little special attention other than to pro- 
 vide moisture during the dry season. 
 Keep snails under control. 
 
 Crested and fringed irises 
 
 These species are rarely planted in 
 California gardens. They have slender 
 rhizomes, and the outer perianth seg- 
 ments or falls are fringed with a petal- 
 like crest on the claw and lower part of 
 the blade. They are sometimes referred 
 
 [in 
 
Tall bearded iris, one of the hybrids, Fifth Symphony. 
 
 to as the Evansia group. Included are 
 Iris cristata (crested iris), /. japonica 
 I fringed iris), and /. tectorum (roof 
 iris ) . 
 
 Growth habits: The butterfly or 
 fringed iris and the roof iris have very 
 slender creeping rootstocks so will not 
 -land much drying. These irises tend to 
 creep along on the ground and are hard 
 
 to confine in one place. They are grown 
 in home gardens only occasionally, yet 
 the fringed iris will flower in consider- 
 ahle shade and may be appreciated for 
 that reason. 
 
 Culture: Move crested and fringed 
 irises in the fall at about the time rains 
 begin so they will have plenty of soil 
 moisture. 
 
 I 121 
 
(Pest (jOYihrol 
 
 ONLY A FEW IRIS PESTS IN CALIFORNIA 
 REQUIRE PROMPT CONTROL 
 
 SLUGS AND SNAILS 
 
 Slugs and snails, unless controlled, can 
 soon riddle the iris leaves in the spring. 
 Poison baits containing metaldehyde are 
 effective; scatter pelleted bait around 
 iris clumps. Have the bait rest on the 
 ground and not on the foliage. Put out 
 new bait when the old is no longer effec- 
 tive or attractive. A powder form of me- 
 taldehyde is now being dusted on some 
 greenhouse plants to protect against the 
 small greenhouse slugs and should be 
 equally effective against slugs attacking 
 the leaves or buds of irises in the garden. 
 Always start treatment before slugs or 
 snails have had time to greatly increase 
 and cause serious damage. 
 
 APHIDS 
 
 Aphids or plant lice may attack the 
 tender leaves or buds of the iris but are 
 easily controlled by such materials as 
 malathion or lindane sprays or dusts. 
 Sprav as soon as the aphids appear on 
 either buds or leaves in appreciable num- 
 bers. In many years not enough aphids 
 will be present to justify spraying. If 
 the spray material is very caustic it will 
 burn the tender buds and leaves, so fol- 
 low directions on the container care- 
 fullv. A few aphids on a leaf or bud can 
 be removed with thumb and forefinger 
 by stripping them off. 
 
 ROOT APHIDS 
 
 The iris root aphid is covered with a 
 white mealy wax and may feed on rhi- 
 zomes. Treatment rarely is required. 
 Malathion or lindane sprays are effective 
 when used according to directions of 
 the manufacturer. 
 
 NEMATODES 
 
 Nematodes could infest iris roots but 
 ordinarily do not cause much damage. 
 
 The commercial treatments for rootknot 
 nematode control between crops will re- 
 duce, but in most cases not eradicate, 
 the nematodes. Treatment of the bare 
 ground after lifting the iris may give the 
 irises planted a better chance to develop 
 good vigor. Watering and a little fer- 
 tilizer can also stimulate good growth 
 and thus minimize the stunting effect of 
 the few remaining nematodes. Replant 
 in a nematode-free area if possible; be 
 sure the planting stock set out is free 
 from nematodes. Gall-like knots on the 
 roots indicate their presence. 
 
 WHITE FLY 
 
 The iris white fly sometimes infests 
 iris leaves. You can see the adults fly 
 when the infested leaves are disturbed. 
 These adults have two dusky spots on 
 each forewing and a spot on each of the 
 rear wings. The white flies lay their eggs 
 on the leaves; the eggs hatch out into a 
 small scale-like intermediate stage that 
 remains stationary on the leaves, usually 
 in a small colony. The iris white fly is 
 most abundant in the garden during late 
 summer and fall. Malathion will control 
 the adult and other stages. Damage is 
 rarely very serious. 
 
 OTHER PESTS 
 
 Other pests are reported in other 
 states and occasionally in California. So 
 far the iris borer has not been found in 
 the state. Certain kinds of thrips may 
 infest the iris, but are not a serious pest 
 in California. Neither is the verbena 
 bud moth, which has been reported in 
 iris literature. 
 
 Rodents such as the pocket gophers 
 and moles can become nuisances, espe- 
 cially near vacant property: but poison- 
 ing and trapping can effectively control 
 such pests in the ordinary home garden. 
 
 [13 
 
y ris JJiseases 
 
 TAKING CARE OF YOUR GARDEN, USING HEALTHY 
 
 AND RESISTANT STOCK, AND APPLICATION OF 
 
 CHEMICALS WILL KEEP YOUR IRISES HEALTHY 
 
 FUNGUS LEAF SPOT 
 
 The fungus leaf spot (see photo, be- 
 low) is a disease on both rhizomatous 
 and bulbous irises. First, small, light 
 brown spots with water-soaked margins 
 appear on the leaves. These spots, which 
 are most numerous towards the leaf tip, 
 gradually enlarge to oval or elliptical 
 areas that may be white, gray, or tan at 
 the center with reddish-brown borders. 
 The tissues around the spots may turn 
 yellow and, under moist conditions, the 
 centers of the spots may be covered with 
 a greenish-black layer of spores of the 
 causal fungus. The spots may be so nu- 
 merous that leaf tips are killed. Under 
 moist conditions, the disease spreads 
 rapidly after flowering, and the foliage 
 dies prematurely. Years of continuous 
 infections may cause plants to become 
 too weak to flower and eventually may 
 kill the plants. Though many of the gar- 
 den hybrids and iris species are suscep- 
 tible, some hybrids and species are re- 
 sistant. 
 
 Iris fungus leaf spot on leaves of a bearded 
 iris. 
 
 Control 
 
 Remove and destroy all infected 
 leaves. Divide the clumps to give them 
 more space and avoid overhead water- 
 ing after the disease appears. Zineb or 
 ferbam sprays applied with a spreader- 
 sticker will also help. Use resistant va- 
 rieties and species wherever the disease 
 is severe. 
 
 BACTERIAL SOFT ROT 
 
 This serious disease of rhizomatous 
 iris first appears as a dying of the leaf 
 tips and a stunting of the plant. This is 
 followed by water-soaked areas at the 
 bases of the leaves. A soft rot then de- 
 velops in these areas and spreads up- 
 ward and downward, extending into the 
 rhizome, causing the interior tissues to 
 collapse into a foul-smelling mass sur- 
 rounded by the intact skin. During this 
 stage, the leaves wilt and finally the en- 
 tire fan collapses. 
 
 Although the soft rot bacteria occur 
 naturally in most soils, they invade 
 plants almost entirely through wounds. 
 In iris, these wounds are commonly 
 made by insects, such as borers, and by 
 cultivation equipment. Once the plants 
 are infected, the disease is favored by 
 deep planting, wet soils and poor air 
 circulation. 
 
 Control 
 
 Prevent the disease by a good insect 
 control program and by avoiding me- 
 chanical injuries. Plant the rhizomes 
 high (at least Vi> the rhizome above soil 
 level), and on ridges; avoid wet soils, 
 areas of poor air circulation and shade. 
 Destro) infected plants. However, if you 
 spol the infection soon enough, lift the 
 rhizomes, scrape out all of the rotted 
 area, and thoroughly dry the rhizome 
 
before replanting. Dusting the cut sur- 
 faces with one of the seed-treatment ma- 
 terials such as Arasan or Ceresan also 
 will help control the disease. Remove 
 the old parts of the rhizome clumps 
 since these are frequently more suscepti- 
 ble to injury. 
 
 BLUE MOLD 
 
 Blue mold is the common and occa- 
 sionally very serious disease of the bulb- 
 ous iris. It develops mainly in storage 
 but also can affect plants in the soil. The 
 disease appears as a sunken brown lesion 
 on the bulb, and may spread through the 
 bulb rotting it completely. On parts of 
 the infected bulb, the fungus may pro- 
 duce mases of blue-green spores. In the 
 field, infected bulbs may fail to emerge 
 or form weak, stunted shoots that be- 
 come yellow and die. The base of the 
 stem and leaves have a soft mushy rot 
 with a disagreeable odor. The fungus 
 enters through wounds; and the disease 
 is worse on bulbs attacked by wireworms 
 or nematodes, or those bruised during 
 digging. Storage of bulbs in poorly ven- 
 tilated, damp places will favor disease 
 development. 
 
 Control 
 
 Handle bulbs with care to prevent in- 
 jury, and cure properly. Store bulbs 
 loosely packed in well ventilated, dry 
 places. Plant in light, well drained soils, 
 free of nematodes and wireworms. 
 
 CROWN ROT 
 
 This disease appears as a rotting of 
 the bases of the leaves and flower stalks, 
 causing the leaves to die from the tips, 
 wilt, and topple over. Small, tan or 
 brownish, seedlike structures of the fun- 
 gus are found embedded in a slight 
 cottony growth at the low portion of the 
 stem, rhizome, or bulb in contact with 
 the soil. A mass of dirt usually clings to 
 infected portions. 
 
 Control 
 
 Control is difficult, partly because the 
 
 [15] 
 
 Iris rust. Infected flower stem and leaf show- 
 ing pustules containing rust-colored spores. 
 
 causal fungus attacks many different 
 plants including vegetables, ornamentals 
 and weeds. Remove and destroy diseased 
 plants. Remove soil from at least 6 
 inches around diseased plants. Soil 
 treatment with pentachloronitrobenzene 
 (Terraclor) at the manufacturer's recom- 
 mendations will also give control. 
 
 IRIS SCORCH 
 
 The cause of this disease of rhizoma- 
 tous irises is unknown. The central leaves 
 begin drying at the tips until all the 
 leaves of the clump are dead. The center 
 portion of the roots are completely 
 rotted, leaving only the outer tissues. 
 
 Control 
 
 No control is known. Sometimes re- 
 moving roots from diseased plants, dry- 
 ing the rhizomes, and replanting in a 
 different location helps them to recover. 
 
 IRIS RUST 
 
 This fungus disease affects bulbous 
 and rhizomatous iris. It appears as 
 small, elongated or oval rings composed 
 of small raised brown pustules on the 
 
leaves or flower stalks. These rupture 
 and release the brown or red spores 
 giving the area a rusty appearance. In- 
 fected areas are sometimes surrounded 
 by zones of yellow tissues. Usually the 
 disease does not cause trouble, but oc- 
 casionally leaves and flower stalks may 
 be killed. 
 
 Control 
 
 No control measures have been de- 
 veloped. Many varieties are resistant, so 
 avoid susceptible varieties. Remove and 
 destroy all diseased plant material. 
 Rusts on other plants are controlled by 
 zineb sprays. If you try this material on 
 irises, be sure to include a spreader- 
 sticker because of the waxy nature of the 
 leaf surfaces. 
 
 This 
 
 IRIS MOSAIC 
 
 virus disease is common on 
 
 bulb- 
 
 ous and rhizomatous irises, though the 
 
 symptoms rarely appear in the hybrid 
 varieties of the latter. Other species such 
 as some forms of Oncocyclus irises may 
 be severely affected. In the bulbous 
 irises, the symptoms appear as yellow 
 streaks in the foliage and bud sheaths. 
 In some varieties there is a color break 
 in the flower tissues of infected plants. 
 Diseased plants may be slightly to 
 severely stunted, and some may fail to 
 bloom. The symptoms are most promi- 
 nent in cool weather and may be masked 
 in warm weather. 
 
 Control 
 
 Control is difficult. Since the virus is 
 spread by aphids, a good insect control 
 program is of benefit. Also, rogue all in- 
 fected plants. Plant virus-free bulbs 
 where possible. However, in certain 
 groups, such as the Dutch irises, some 
 varieties are 100 per cent virus infected, 
 and it appears to be impossible to find 
 any virus-free planting material. 
 
 CjrowLnq Arises ^Jrom Seeo 
 
 SOME TIPS TO IRIS FANCIERS WHO WANT TO DEVELOP 
 
 SUPERIOR SEEDLINGS FROM SEED 
 
 Seed can result from either selfing or 
 crossing. Many of the bearded irises fail 
 to mature seed unless hand pollinated. 
 Some iris cultivars develop good pollen 
 while others are poor pollen producers. 
 If seed is to form, viable pollen must be 
 introduced to the stigma; and it must be 
 introduced while the pistil is still recep- 
 tive to pollen. 
 
 HAND-POLLINATION 
 
 An anther on a bearded iris flower 
 lies beneath each style arm (sec drawing. 
 page 17). Iris Mowers normally have 
 three >i\l<- arms with a stamen beneath 
 each of them. Oil the underside of the 
 tip of tile style arm is a sticky band — 
 
 the stigma of the flower. Introduce pol- 
 len to this band where, under favorable 
 conditions, the pollen grain will sprout 
 and send a tube down through the style 
 to reach the ovule. The stigma becomes 
 exposed when ready for pollination. The 
 sex cells in the pollen tubes unite with 
 the sex cells in the ovules to start seed 
 development. If the pollination is faulty 
 or not complete, the flower stalk may 
 form a seed pod with few or no seeds. 
 But under favorable conditions, each 
 seed pod that forms should mature many 
 seeds. Label each seed pod that develops 
 from hand pollination, to show date, pol- 
 len parent, and svvd parent. Keep this 
 label attached to each seed pod gathered. 
 Bag all hand-pollinated flowers before 
 
 6] 
 
STANDARDS 
 
 STYLE CREST 
 (or CLAW) 
 
 STYLE ARM 
 (or BRANCH) 
 
 STIGMA 
 
 BEARD 
 
 THREE FALLS 
 
 SPATHE 
 
 STAMEN 
 
 HAFT (narrowest) 
 AREA OF FALL 
 
 Parts of a bearded iris flower 
 
 and after pollination to prevent polli- 
 nation from another source. You may 
 break the standards away to make polli- 
 nation easier. Gather the seed pod be- 
 fore it has had time to split and scatter 
 the seeds. By covering each seed pod 
 with a small porous bag, the seed can 
 be easily saved. 
 
 Planting the seed 
 
 Iris seeds need little after-ripening. 
 Plant fresh seed soon after maturity in a 
 covered frame or bed (see photo, page 
 20), so that moisture and temperature 
 can be regulated. If the seed is not too 
 dry or weak, seedlings should appear 
 the first year. Old iris seed may germi- 
 nate over two or three years. Plant the 
 small seedlings in rows and cover the 
 surface with coarse sand so it dries off 
 
 n 
 
 quickly after watering. Poor drainage 
 can rot the seed. The mixture used for 
 seed germination may contain one-third 
 granulated peat moss, one-third sand, 
 and one-third loam soil. Plant the seeds 
 not deeper than % to *4 inch or just 
 deep enough so the surrounding soil will 
 not dry out during the period of germi- 
 nation. It may take only a few weeks 
 until the first small fan-like seedlings 
 begin to appear, but germination is 
 often delayed for two to three months 
 or longer, depending on temperature, 
 moisture conditions, and the age of the 
 seed when planted. 
 
 Embryo culture 
 
 Prompt germination of iris seed can 
 be obtained by embryo culture. Some 
 iris crosses do not produce seed that is 
 
 7] 
 

 G) 
 
 
 © 
 
 © 
 
 © 
 
*■ - 
 
 TALL BEARDED 
 IRISES 
 
 1. The plicata irises, such 
 as Blue Freckles, meet 
 the approval of iris fanci- 
 ers. The standards are 
 well domed. (See page 
 26.) 
 
 2. The irises with bronze 
 colors, such as Bronze 
 Bell, are among the most 
 popular. (See page 26.) 
 
 3. The bicolor irises have 
 a distinct color combina- 
 tion. A wide choice in 
 harmonious colors is 
 available. Spanish Fan- 
 dango cultivar shown. 
 (See page 28.) 
 
 4. Irises with flamingo 
 pink in the standards or 
 falls have increased the 
 color range in recent 
 years. Happy Birthday 
 shown with standard not 
 well domed. (See page 
 27.) 
 
 5. Bearded irises with 
 ruffled or lacy petal mar- 
 gins have added interest. 
 Butterscotch Kiss is pic- 
 tured in which the falls 
 stand out well. (See page 
 27.) 
 
 6. The golden yellow 
 irises with orange beard 
 are very popular. Sunset 
 Gold is the cultivar 
 shown. (See page 28.) 
 

 
 Bearded iris seedlings in a seed bed six months after seed was planted. Different crosses are 
 separated by small wooden strips. 
 
 easy to germinate; removing the embryo 
 and culturing it on nutrient agar will 
 bring about germination of seed that 
 could not be germinated in any other 
 way. Iris breeders may resort to this 
 method where germination of viable 
 embryos is difficult or impossible. Even 
 immature embryos of only six to eight 
 weeks have been successfully germinated 
 by this method when the seed planted 
 normally did not germinate because 
 there was not enough endosperm to 
 nourish the embryo to full maturity. De- 
 tails for embryo-culture techniques will 
 be found in such publications as Ran- 
 dolph. 1959 (see page 34). 
 
 Lining out seedlings 
 
 When the seedlings are up a Few 
 inches, line them out in rows to give 
 them a better chance t<> jirow undis- 
 
 turbed. The frame is needed only in the 
 early germination period. Label each 
 group of seedlings with the same par- 
 entage to show the nature of the cross. 
 Seedlings with the same parentage may 
 vary greatly in important characteristics, 
 such as color and form of flowers, 
 branching of stems (see photo, page 
 21), height of stems, and vigor. Identify 
 seedlings with the same parents with a 
 decimal number attached to the original 
 number for the cross. When the seedlings 
 begin to flower, sort them over and keep 
 only those that are promising. The tags 
 should always show the parentage of 
 each seedling. 
 
 Naming 
 
 Never give seedlings a final name 
 until they have proved to be worthy and 
 distinct. Their number will identify them 
 
 20 | 
 
sufficiently until they are worth naming. 
 To avoid confusion, check with the 
 American Iris Society and its affiliates 
 as to which names are already in use 
 and which are eligible. Test gardens for 
 worthy seedlings and iris shows where 
 seedlings are exhibited and rated will also 
 help you determine the merits of a seed- 
 ling. Any seedling that is not to be intro- 
 duced should remain unnamed. Experi- 
 enced iris growers will usually be able to 
 appraise a seedling and can indicate 
 whether it is worth naming. 
 
 Breeding principles 
 
 A discussion about the genetics of iris 
 breeding is beyond the scope of this 
 manual, but the principles of inheritance 
 must be understood if planned iris 
 breeding is to be successful. It may take 
 time to learn which characters are in- 
 herited from parent plants and which 
 ones are recessive. Line breeding will 
 help you learn about the genetic makeup 
 of parent plants. But not until you know 
 the characters of prospective parent 
 plants will you be able to plan desirable 
 crosses and predict the outcome. 
 
 A wide branching 
 bearded irises. 
 
 habit is preferred for 
 
 You can find the fundamentals of iris 
 genetics in recent publications I Ran- 
 dolph, 1959). Much of modern progress 
 in iris breeding has resulted from the 
 introduction of irises with more chromo- 
 somes. It is believed that Iris mesopo- 
 tamica with its 48 chromosomes helped 
 in the development of taller flower stems 
 and greater vigor. Many of the older 
 German bearded irises, such as Calypso, 
 Caprice, Eldorado, Flavescens, Impera- 
 tor, Loreley, Mme. Chereau, and Pari- 
 siana, were diploids with a chromosome 
 count of only 24. With them alone, the 
 modern tall bearded irises could not have 
 been developed. Most of the triploids with 
 a count of 36, as San Gabriel, Ballerine. 
 and Frieda Mohr, are being replaced 
 with the popular tetraploids, many with 
 a chromosome count of 48. 
 
 Do not include too much in your 
 breeding program; color, form, stem 
 and branching, vigor, substance and, in 
 some cases, size, are important con- 
 siderations. To get superior seedlings, 
 confine your efforts to just a few char- 
 acters. Crosses of unlike parents have 
 possibilities and limitations. William 
 Mohr boldly made crosses to produce 
 the William Mohr, and this line of 
 breeding has introduced the very un- 
 usual group of irises listed in the table 
 on page 25. But chromosome count is 
 not the only factor. Linkage of genes 
 and other considerations also affect re- 
 sults. Without a good understanding of 
 genetics, you will most likely be suc- 
 cessful when you use certain superior 
 parents of modern breeding and work 
 with enough seedlings to stand some 
 chance of getting desirable offspring. 
 
 Iris, the flower of many colors, 
 received its name from the 
 Greek Goddess of the rainbow. 
 
Urls Species Jrianleo in C^atifc 
 
 Iris albicans (Yemen iris) closely re- 
 sembles a white Iris germanica. It 
 flowers early. 
 
 Iris amoena, or /. hybrida, resembles 
 /. neglecta but has longer spathe 
 valves and is white or faintly tinted 
 lilac on the outer segments and style 
 branches. Known only in cultivation. 
 
 Iris crocea, or /. aurea, is one of the 
 tall beardless (apogon) irises valued 
 for its golden flowers. 
 
 Iris douglasiana (mountain iris) is 
 native to California. The flowers range 
 from lilac purple to cream and white. 
 Those with much pink are considered 
 choice. It grows naturally in the coast 
 range, from Monterey County north 
 to Oregon. 
 
 Iris flavescens is a garden hybrid of 
 long-standing with lemon-yellow flow- 
 ers and deep yellow beard. Known 
 only in cultivation. 
 
 Iris foetidissima (Gladwin iris) has 
 narrow green leaves and is valued 
 mostly for the seed pods which ma- 
 ture scarlet globular seeds late in the 
 growing season. 
 
 Iris fulva (copper iris) is of the swamp 
 irises from the southern states used in 
 hybridizing; has six petals of terra 
 cotta color. 
 
 Iris gatesi (monarch iris) comes from 
 Asia Minor. Standards are 4-5 inches 
 across, greenish or grayish with pur- 
 plish veins and dots. 
 
 Iris germanica (German iris) helped 
 breeders produce most of the modern 
 bearded irises. Because stems are 
 often short, modern bearded irises are 
 the result of crosses with other spe- 
 cies, such as /. mesopotamica and /. 
 pallida. 
 
 Iris hartwegi (foothill iris or Sierra 
 iris) is a native to the Sierra Nevada 
 from Plumas to Kent County and 
 south to southern California. 
 
 ornia 
 
 Iris hoogiana (redbeard iris) comes 
 from Turkestan, and is one of the aril 
 irises of interest because of the odd 
 coloring briefly listed on page 25. It 
 must have warm, dry summers to 
 survive. 
 
 Iris innominata comes from Oregon 
 and somewhat resembles /. douglasi- 
 ana but runs to interesting yellows 
 which are prized by fanciers of wild 
 irises. 
 
 Iris japonica (butterfly iris) is an 
 oriental crested species that flowers 
 fairly well in shaded locations. The 
 delicate lacy, pale blue small flowers 
 are admired. Not suitable for the open 
 garden. 
 
 Iris korolkowi (redvein iris) comes 
 from Turkestan, belongs to the aril 
 iris group. The falls are olive green 
 with brown veins. Survives only when 
 summers are dry and warm. Only the 
 falls are bearded. 
 
 Iris kochi (Koch iris) is a form of 
 Iris germanica or a hybrid with that 
 species known for dark purple flowers 
 and its tendency to flower in the fall 
 months. No longer grown in Califor- 
 nia but probably used in some of the 
 first crosses to develop cultivars that 
 flower in summer or fall. 
 
 Iris laevigata (rabbit ear iris), an ori- 
 ental diploid species related to the 
 Japanese iris but leaves without a dis- 
 tinct midrib. Standards are as long as 
 the falls. 
 
 Iris longipetala (coast iris) native to 
 California's coastal region from San 
 Francisco Bay to Monterey County. 
 Standards usually are light violet and 
 falls white veined with violet. Does 
 best in heavy moist soil and not too 
 much hot sun. 
 
 Iris macrosiphon (ground or tube 
 iris) is native to California's coast 
 ranges from Santa Clara County north 
 
 r 22 1 
 
to Del Norte and inland to Butte 
 County. Colors run to violet purple or 
 straw-yellow. Forms with cream color 
 are common. 
 
 Iris mesopotamica (mardin iris) prob- 
 ably is a native of Armenia, and is 
 used to cross with German bearded 
 irises to increase size of flowers and 
 length of stem. Practically all the very 
 tall bearded irises of today contain 
 this species in their ancestry. 
 
 Iris missouriensis (Rocky Mountain 
 iris or western blue flag) is native to 
 California's north coast range in Men- 
 docino and Solano counties, south to 
 the San Bernardino Mountains, east to 
 Inyo County, and north to Modoc 
 County. 
 
 Iris monnieri (Monnier iris) is one of 
 the tall beardless irises with lemon 
 yellow color, similar to /. crocea {I. 
 aurea) and /. ochroleuca. Has been 
 crossed with /. spuria to produce such 
 varieties as Monspur. 
 
 Iris neglecta is a hybrid (Sanibucina x 
 variegata) 
 
 Iris ochroleuca (yellowband iris) is a 
 common tall white beardless iris, 
 sometimes wrongly called Spanish 
 iris. The standards are white, the falls 
 white with a varying amount of yel- 
 low in the center. 
 
 Iris pallida (sweet iris) comes from 
 Europe and is one of the parents of 
 the taller bearded irises. It has short, 
 papery white spathe-valves with flower 
 stems up to 36 inches. The flowers are 
 violet to white with yellow beards. 
 Variety dalmatica has lavender-blue 
 flowers with falls more spreading than 
 drooping; possibly a hybrid, with /. 
 pallida as one of the parents. 
 
 Iris plicata has stems and leaves similar 
 to /. pallida. Flowers are white at the 
 center, faintly veined and flushed with 
 lilac toward the margin. Probably de- 
 rived from /. pallida. No longer grown 
 in California but still referred to in 
 some catalogs. 
 
 Iris pseudacorus (yellowflag iris or 
 water iris) has flower stalks up to 5 
 to 6 feet, but the canary-yellow flow- 
 ers are not equal to those of /. aurea. 
 
 Iris reticulata (netted iris) is a bulb- 
 ous species from the Caucasus, often 
 planted in pots and resembling a small 
 blue Spanish iris. 
 
 Iris sibirica (Siberiam iris) in a hardy 
 species from the Orient that does best 
 with a generous supply of water and 
 fertile soil. The flowers are beardless 
 on stems up to 2 to 4 feet and range 
 from white to lavender, and deep pur- 
 ple. 
 
 Iris spuria (seashore iris) somewhat 
 resembles the Siberian iris with a 
 purple flower. Has been crossed with 
 other tall beardless irises, as /. mon- 
 nieri, to increase the range of color. 
 
 Iris squalens has much-branched stems 
 2 to 3 feet high with spathe valves 
 partly dry. The flowers are lilac-purple 
 and the beard is yellow; inner seg- 
 ments are lilac and yellow or brownish 
 and yellow. Many of the old German 
 irises belonged to this form. The com- 
 bination of colors may still be seen in 
 some modern varieties or hybrids. 
 
 Iris stolonifera (runner iris) is a spe- 
 cies from Turkestan with light or dark 
 brown-purple, marked in the middle 
 of the frilled segments with blue. Falls 
 reflexed and haft yellow-bearded. Has 
 been crossed with both /. korolkowi 
 and with /. hoogiana. Some of the 
 hybrids are interesting but the species 
 is not easily grown. 
 
 Iris susiana (mourning iris) comes 
 from Asia-Minor, has very large 
 standards and one flower to a stem. 
 The odd grayish ground color with 
 blackish veins makes this species use- 
 ful in breeding work. Most of the 
 Mohr hybrids (see page 25) have /. 
 susiana for one parent, at least in the 
 original crosses. Must have warm, di \ 
 summers to survive. 
 
 [23] 
 
Iris tingitana (Tangiers iris) is a bulb- 
 ous iris not usually grown in Califor- 
 nia. Used as one parent of the Wedge- 
 wood variety. 
 
 Iris unguicularis or /. stylosa (Alge- 
 rian or winter-flowering iris) can 
 stand some cold and partial shade. 
 What appear to be the flower stems 
 are actually long styles, and the seed 
 pod is below the soil surface. Easy to 
 grow. Flowers are light purple, white, 
 or pink. 
 
 Iris variegata (Hungarian iris) is much 
 veined with brown or a yellow 
 ground; beard bright yellow; stand- 
 ards bright yellow and veined. Not 
 grown now but one of the oldest irises 
 in cultivation and probably the an- 
 cestor of many of the older German 
 irises, as Iris King. 
 
 Iris xiphioides (English iris) is rarely 
 grown in California because it needs 
 much more soil moisture than the 
 Dutch and Spanish bulbous irises. 
 Bulbs can be ordered from Eastern 
 and European dealers. 
 
 Iris xiphium (Spanish iris) is a bulb- 
 ous iris well adapted to many Califor- 
 nia gardens; stands heavy soils very 
 well. Should flower for several years 
 without disturbing. The hybrid kinds, 
 usually listed as Dutch bulbous irises, 
 are often superior in vigor to the spe- 
 cies. There is a wide color range, as 
 shown in the list on page 24. These 
 varieties may follow the early Wedg- 
 wood in season and extend flowering 
 well into April in cool coastal districts. 
 A reasonable amount of sun is needed 
 to produce flowers; avoid very shady 
 spots. 
 
 A 
 
 US 
 
 CtuLttvars 
 
 BULBOUS IRISES (Dutch and Spanish) 
 
 Ankara — a fine bronze with wide standards and falls. Very late. 
 
 Blue Champion — enormous flower of pale blue. Stems long. 
 
 Blue Ribbon — royal blue with velvety texture and large flowers. Early. A popu- 
 lar introduction. 
 
 Bronze Beauty — purple-blue standards and bright orange falls. 
 
 Edward Salbach — purple with orange spot on falls. 
 
 Gold and Silver — standards white, falls deep yellow with orange signals. Tall. 
 Midseason. 
 
 Jeanne D'Arc — cream white with small yellow spots. 
 
 Le Mogol — fine bronze of interesting color. Very late. 
 
 National Velvet — violet purple with orange blotch on each fall. Stems about 2 
 feet. 
 
 Orange King — deep orange standards, bright orange falls. 
 
 Princess Beatrix — largest deep golden yellow. Vigorous. 
 
 Princess Irene --a very fine white with deep orange falls. Flowers large and 
 with good form. 
 
 Royal Purple — deep purple. 
 
 Sutters Gold — golden-yellow. One of the best. 
 
 Therese Schwartze - falls creamy white, standards soft lilac. Tall stems. 
 
 Wedgewood — a very early Tingiana hybrid. Has blue standards and 
 sli<ihll\ paler with yellow blotch. 
 
 White Perfection one of the besl whites. Slems lon<;. 
 
 falls 
 
 24 | 
 
ONCOCYCLUS AND REGELIA IRISES AND 
 THEIR HYBRIDS 
 
 Allegria — an Oncogelia produced by crossing Artemis (an Iris korolkowi hy- 
 brid) with a bearded iris; redder than most Oncogelias. Easy to grow along 
 with summer-irrigated irises. 
 
 Andromache — silvery white and violet with a soft lilac veil. Signal patch claret- 
 black. Style crests wine-red. 
 
 Bronze Beauty — a cross between Iris hoogiana and /. stolonijera; largest and 
 tallest of the group. Standards golden bronze, veined lavender. Long narrow 
 falls dark wine-red, edged bronze. Creamy beard. 
 
 Brown and Green — a form of /. korolkowi, silvery-white, shading to maroon at 
 the base. Signal dark chocolate with green iridescence, veined in brown. Brown 
 beard. 
 
 Charon — standards light buff, flushed dark crimson, veined mahogany. Falls 
 golden buff, veined reddish mahogany. 
 
 Late Amethyst — a late-blooming form of Iris hoogiana. Clear amethyst blue, 
 flushed amethyst at center. 
 
 Lortetii — large orchid-pink globular blooms to 7 inches across. Standards white 
 with flush of lilac pink and fine lavender veins. Rare and high-priced. 
 
 Luna — creamy ground flushed pink and lavender and deep red-violet veins. 
 Purplish-black plush in signal. 
 
 Purpurea — a royal purple form of Iris hoogiana, with deeper purple signal and 
 yellow beard. 
 
 POPULAR ONCOBRED IRISES 
 
 (Crosses between Iris susiana or susiana hybrids) 
 
 Bella Mohr — huge flowers of blackish-purple, broad, and flower sometimes 
 
 flattens out. 
 Blumohr - — unveined plumbago blue. Up to 3 feet tall. 
 
 Butterfly Wings — translucent lilac blue, veined mulberry, crimson, and russet. 
 Capitola — red violet, often used in breeding. 
 Center Glow — a creamy self oncobred with peach-apricot haft and orange 
 
 beard. 
 Conquest — wisteria blue standards and cream falls with bronze beard. Signal is 
 
 lavender. 
 Eastermohr — medium blue with good height and branching. Flowers large and 
 
 ruffled. 
 Elmohr — reddish mulberry with large ruffled flowers of good form. 
 Frances Craig — a fine large lilac blue with very large rounded falls. 
 Giant Mohr — much darker than William Mohr and twice as tall. Color is 
 
 manganese violet. 
 Grace Mohr — lavender violet with deeper shade of veining. Rounded petals. 
 
 [25] 
 
Green Mohr — greenish-yellow with slight flush of lavender on upper part of 
 falls. 
 
 Heather Angel — a heather-purple self of very large size. Standards broad and 
 domed. Falls semi-flaring. 
 
 Joppa Parrot — standards light mauve, streaked mulberry. Rounded falls of 
 bronzy gold with pattern of crimson violet streaked mulberry black. Beard golden 
 bronze. 
 
 Kalifa Gulnare - — a tall, odd amoena-variegata bicolor with pale lavender standards. 
 Falls with crimson signal and golden buff edge, beard bronze. 
 
 Lady Mohr — standards oyster-shell white. Falls pale chartreuse veined red-violet 
 at haft. Height up to 36 inches. 
 
 Nomohr — bamboo cream, ruffled with good substance. 
 
 Ormohr — silvery lilac and violet veinings. Tall stems. 
 
 Pink Mohr — orchid pink with mulberry signal. Bronzy-yellow beard. Not very 
 tall. 
 
 Real Gold — golden buff with brown veins and golden bronze beard. Broad 
 flaring falls. 
 
 William Mohr Giant — large flowers of light bluish purple striped darker. Yel- 
 low beard. 
 
 TALL BEARDED IRISES 
 
 Al Borak — wide, heavy falls. Standards copper with gold undertone. Falls russet 
 brown. Good substance. 
 
 Arabi Pasha — deep cornflower blue with blue beard and velvety falls. Given 
 1953 Dykes award. 
 
 Argus Pheasant — very large, golden brown. A 1952 Dykes winner and inex- 
 pensive. 
 
 Bang — close to true red. Has good substance. Tall. 
 
 Belle Meade — pure white plicata with edges feathered violet-blue. Well branched. 
 
 Berkeley Gold — one of the older inexpensive deep yellows with good form and 
 well branched but not widely available. 
 
 Black Hills — very dark, velvety blue-black with no haft markings. Has good 
 form. 
 
 Black Taffeta — a popular ruffled black with black beard. 
 
 Blue Freckles --a blue plicata of interest to fanciers (see color plates, pages 
 
 18-19). 
 Blue Sapphire -- ruffled, light silvery blue of good form and substance. Large, 
 
 popular, a 1958 Dykes winner. 
 Blue Shimmer — a blue plicata of vigorous growth and inexpensive. 
 Bold Contrast — a fine variegata of good substance. Standards arc bright gold 
 
 and falls blackish maroon-red with orange beard. 
 Bronze Bell - a fine bronze that should remain popular. Patented (see color 
 
 plates, pages 18-19). 
 
 [26] 
 
Butterscotch Kiss — one of the newer tan irises with laced petals. Should be 
 popular (see color plates, pages 18-19 j . 
 
 Caroline Jane — large plicata with white ground and delicate blue markings. 
 Tall, husky, popular. 
 
 Char-maize — a greenish yellow with chartreuse undertone. Large blooms some- 
 what ruffled and with good form. 
 
 Crispette — lacy-edged, deep orchid pink with orange-red beard and good form. 
 
 Dolly Varden — a large flamingo pink with flaring petals, pink overlain salmon, 
 good form. 
 
 Fire Brigade — glowing crimson-red of good size and vigorous. One of the best 
 reds. 
 
 First Violet — a ruffled violet of good form and large size. Dykes award 1956. 
 
 Flirtation — one of the deepest pinks with red beard and large flowers, ruffled 
 and laced. 
 
 Frieda Mohr — an old introduction in orchid pink that has remained popular. 
 Not resistant to cold. 
 
 Frost and Flame — one of the fine new whites with tangerine beard that prom- 
 ises to be popular. \^ ell branched. 
 
 Galilee — one of the popular new blues with fine form. 
 
 Golden Hawk — velvety golden flowers of large size and good substance, well 
 placed on the stem. 
 
 Grand Teton — very large yellow with suggestion of chartreuse. \^ ide ruffled 
 petals of good substance. 
 
 Hallmark — golden apricot with ruffled petals. Falls broad, tangerine beard, well 
 branched. 
 
 Happy Birthday — one of the best of the deep pink flamingos. Petals ruffled. 
 orange-red beard, good form, vigorous and free-flowering I see color plates, pages 
 18-19). 
 
 Helen Collingwood — brilliant two-toned, light lavender standards and bright 
 violet purple falls. Vigorous. 
 
 June Meredith — fine deep pink flamingo with tangerine beard. Good form and 
 good substance. A favorite. 
 
 Lavish Lady — ruffled sea-lavender violet with large, broad florets, well spaced 
 on stem. 
 
 Mary Randall — deep rose pink self with tangerine beard and round flaring falls. 
 1954 Dykes winner. 
 
 May Hall — light flamingo pink, slightly salmon, similar to Happy Birthday but 
 different form. Bright tangerine beard. 
 
 Maytime — a rose-pink amoena. Standards pale orchid pink, falls broad and deep 
 rose. 
 
 Melody Lane — a fine ruffled apricot with good form and many flowers. Attrac- 
 tive. 
 
 [27] 
 
Olympic Torch — light golden bronze of large size, tall and well-branched, fine 
 form, ruffled, heavy substance. 
 
 Orange Cremo — apricot-orange, near true orange, orange beard, good sub- 
 stance. 
 
 Oriental Glory — standards mahogany red. Flaring falls are mahogany brown, 
 gold at haft, with violet-blue blaze. 
 
 Palomino — an attractive flower with coppery-pink standards and ivory falls, 
 
 bordered coppery amber. 
 Pierre Menard — a large medium blue self with good wave to the petals, inex- 
 pensive. One of the best. 
 Pink Fulfillment — tall flamingo pink with wide flaring falls, good substance, 
 
 and large size. Considered hard to grow. 
 Pinnacle — interesting combination of white standards and primrose-yellow falls. 
 
 Good form and texture, well branched. 
 Queen's Lace — cream standards and white falls, edged cream, very heavily 
 
 laced. 
 Riviera — dresden yellow. Large falls with blue-white center and rounded edges, 
 
 lightly laced. 
 Ruffled Elegance — ruffled, a blend of rosy violet with edges of petals darker. 
 
 Well branched. 
 Sable Night — prized for its blue-black standards and velvety-black falls with 
 
 bronze beard. A 1955 Dykes winner. 
 Savage — burnished red with brilliant violet blaze shooting out from beard to 
 
 give a flame effect. Falls broad and flaring. Popular in its coloring. Plant may 
 
 flower in fall. 
 Sierra Skies — one of the best medium blues with good form and well branched. 
 Snow Flurry — a tall bluish-white that is vigorous and flowers early. Slightly 
 
 tender. 
 Snow Goddess — a very large white seedling of Snow Flurry, heavily ruffled and 
 
 flaring falls, yellow beard. Well branched, vigorous. Somewhat like Swan Ballet. 
 Spanish Fandango - - ruffled coppery-yellow with chestnut red. Tall flower stems 
 
 and wide branching ( see color plates, pages 18-19 ) . 
 Sugar Plum --a lacy pink that is pinker than some lacy varieties. Cream pink 
 
 with yellow haft and yellow beard. 
 Sunset Blaze -- golden flame-salmon blend. Tall, widely branched, almost red in 
 
 some light. 
 Sunset Gold - a rich gold that is sure to please, and very moderate in price (see 
 
 color plates, pages 18—19). 
 Swan Ballet — a tall pure white with white beard. Fine substance, slightly ruffled. 
 
 I)\kes u inner 1959. 
 Tabu one of the best bine-black i rises as to color. 
 
 Tall Chief a fine new red, listed as Brazil red and with bright orange beard. 
 
 Tall am' *\ell branched. 
 
 I 2i! | 
 
Techny Chimes — clear yellow and orange with tangerine beard. Flowers well 
 
 formed and slightly ruffled. W ell branched. 
 Temple Bells — large apricot yellow with orange beard. Popular. 
 Thotmes III — a popular large iris with broad golden petals and fine form. 
 Truly Yours — unusual coloring; center yellow shading to white at edges of 
 
 petals. Buds yellow. Petals ruffled with lacy edge. \ ery late. 1953 Dykes winner. 
 Violet Harmony — fine violet self color. Casually ruffled. Dykes winner in 1957. 
 Violet Hills — fluorite violet, unveined haft, large, horizontal falls, blue-tipped 
 
 beard. 
 White Peacock — a good ruffled white with bluish cast. Falls broad and ruffled. 
 
 W ell branched. 
 Whole Cloth — clear white standards with medium light blue falls, similar to 
 
 Blue Rhythm. \^ ell branched. Golden beard. 
 Wide World — blue standards and white falls with blue intensified near center 
 
 on standards. 
 
 Note: This list of tall bearded irises is subject to change and revision as better or new irises are 
 introduced. Some irises not listed may prove to be worthy under various local conditions. 
 In general, the irises listed are suitable for parts of California where irises do well. No 
 attempt has been made to appraise irises for other states where growing conditions differ 
 from those in California. Some of the irises named are still expensive, but prices may drop 
 enough to allow many growers to afford them. 
 
 JAPANESE IRISES 
 
 Blue Lagoon I Marx 1954) — clear blue, deeper than sky blue. Not ruffled. 
 
 Flowers to 8 inches. 
 Blue Pompon (Marx 1955) — deep blue and ruffled with pompon center. To 8 
 
 inches diameter. 
 Catherine Perry — blue, overlaid purple with high tufts in center. 
 Columbia — blue with white veins and vellow center. 
 Elbrus — clear lavender and very large. 
 Emperor's Robe iMarx 1957) — ruffled, violet, stippled soft violet on white and 
 
 veined dark violet. Flowers to 7 inches across. 32-inch stems. Midseason. 
 Fascination — mauve pink, lightly veined white. 
 Frosted Pyramid I Marx 1960) — a ruffled white of medium size with 36-40 
 
 inch stems. 
 Gold Bound — white with gold-bounded center. 
 Imperial Palace I Marx 1955) — velvety beet-red. To 10 inches across. Robust. 
 
 \^ ell-branched stems to 4 feet. Midseason. 
 Imperial Velvet I Marx 1953 1 — purplish red. opening red purple and later 
 
 changing to a lighter tone. To 7 inches across. Stems to 40 inches. Midseason. 
 Jeweled Kimono I Marx I960) — a good blue with broad petals. 8-9 inches 
 
 across. Stems to 4 feet. Late. 
 
 King's Court — Beet red with some white veining and white stvles tipped red. 
 Stems 41/2-5 feet. Late. 
 
 [29] 
 
Koko-No-Iri — royal purple with yellow center radiating into white lines. 
 Lady-in-Waiting (Marx 1957) — Ruffled white with delicate pink border and 
 
 petals edged lavender pink. To 7 inches across. Stems 32 inches. Midseason to late. 
 Mahogany — mahogany red and large. Late 
 
 Mahogany Giant — larger than Mahogany and a deeper shade of velvety maroon. 
 Orchid Fawn (Marx 1954) — orchid, shaded fawn brown; medium size. Stems 
 
 3-4 feet. 
 Persian Rug — large purple, edged white and with golden signals. To 10 inches 
 
 across. Stems 4^—5 feet. 
 Pin Stripe — white, penciled bright blue, with tufted center. Petaloids brushed 
 
 blue violet. Stems to 4 feet. 
 Purple and Gold — violet-purple with white petaloids tipped violet. Throat 
 
 golden with bluish white rays. 
 Silver Waves — very large white to 11 inches across. Slender stems to 4% feet. 
 Summer Storm — dark velvety purple, ruffled and with dark ruffled center. 
 
 Orange signals. To 8 inches across. Stems 3% to 4 feet. Late. 
 
 Tinted Cloud — wisteria violet with golden-yellow signals and blue border. 
 Styles deep violet. Crumpled petal edges. To 5 feet. Late. 
 
 Veiled Vanity — white, veined blue, white tufted center, sanded bluish purple. 
 Ruffled. To 5 feet. Late. 
 
 Velvet Canopy — a very large double red of formal type. To 11 inches across. 
 
 Stems to 5 x /2 feet. Midseason. 
 World's Delight (Marx 1953) — light orchid pink, to 7 inches across. Stems to 
 
 40 inches. Early to midseason. 
 
 Note: Experience with the Japanese irises in California is somewhat limited. Occasionally they 
 are grown successfully in cool coastal areas from central California northward where condi- 
 tions are not greatly different than in parts of Oregon and Washington. The soils but not 
 always, may be slightly acid. 
 
 The Japanese iris has been observed growing very well near the ocean of Santa Cruz 
 County where the soil was about neutral and contains some lime. Usually lime should not 
 be added to the soil where Japanese irises are to be grown. 
 
 SIBERIAN IRISES 
 
 Ahalya — pale pearly lilac-pink with spreading falls. Early. 
 
 Caesar's Brother - - fine purple-black with good form. Stems up to 48 inches in 
 
 height. 
 Emperor - - violet blue of medium height. One of the older Siberians. 
 Fairy Dawn — a pink bicolor. Standards white, falls flushed rose. 
 Grandis - - narrow standards are mulberry, falls white, veined dark mulberry. 48 
 
 inches. 
 
 Helen Astor — rosy-red. Blooms early to mid season. Stems about 30 inches tall. 
 
 My Love -- medium l)lu<> of good Form and well branched. Stems to 4 feet tall. 
 Blooms in May and may rcbloom in July. 
 
 [30| 
 
New Blue — turquoise blue and very fine. Flowers large and of good substance. 
 
 Popular. Stems up to 34 inches (see photo, page 11 ) . 
 Ottawa — blue flowers with white centers. To 36 inches. 
 Perry's Blue — a dependable old variety in light blue. Slender stems up to 38 
 
 inches. 
 Rowanda Redflare — a red self with wide petals and flaring falls. Stems to 38 
 
 inches. 
 Seven Season — large flowers of deep blue toned violet and with golden signals. 
 
 Has good form. Midseason. 
 Sky Blue — sky blue with a touch of brown at the throat. 
 Snowcrest — a ruffled white. Height to about 38 inches. 
 Snowy Egret — large, pure white with bright yellow at haft, ruffled petals. About 
 
 36 inches tall. 
 Tropic Night — deepest violet blue, large, and with good form. 
 Tycoon — very large, deep violet-blue. 
 Zerita — medium blue petals with contrasting rose-red styles. Tall and fairly early. 
 
 TALL BEARDLESS IRISES OF THE SPURIA GROUP 
 
 Iris spuria is similar in habit of growth to many of the Siberian irises and the 
 flowers are also similar but may be inferior in width of falls and standards to the 
 best Siberians. This species has been crossed with /. monnieri to furnish many 
 fine hybrids but there is still room to improve the width of falls and standards 
 and perhaps size and form. 
 
 Some of the best hybrids introduced are listed as follows : 
 A. J. Balfour Indian Summer 
 
 Azure Dawn Lark Song — yellow and white 
 
 Blue Rocket Lord Wolsely — blue 
 
 Blue Zephyr Monteagle — blue-purple 
 
 Bronze Butterfly — bronze tone Mrs. A. W. Rait 
 
 Bronspur — bronze tone Pastoral 
 
 Cherokee Chief — bronze tone Perky Maid 
 
 Dresden Blue — blue 
 Driftwood — bronze tone 
 Dutch Defiance — blue 
 Euphrosyne — blue-purple 
 Fairy Lantern — blue 
 
 Fifth Symphony (see photo page 12 y y 
 
 and also cover) Violet Veil — lavender blend 
 
 Golden Agate — yellow Wadi Zem Zem - yellow 
 
 Golden Sceptre — yellow White Heron - - white 
 
 Harpeth Hills Zephyroso — lavender blend 
 
 [31] 
 
 Royal Toga — blue-purple 
 Russet Flame — brown tone 
 Saugatuck 
 Shelf ord Giant 
 
Jjefiniiion of C^erms 
 
 USED IN THIS MANUAL 
 
 amoena — a group with white standards and blue, pink, purple, or yellow falls. 
 
 anther — the pollen-bearing part of the stamen. 
 
 apogon — lower petals or falls without a beard (beardless) . 
 
 aril — a seed appendage that envelopes the seed after pollination of certain 
 species or hybrids, as in Oncocyclus and Regelia irises. 
 
 beard — the hairy appendage on the upper surface of the falls (or standards) 
 on bearded irises. The coarse surface growth on the crest of crested irises is not 
 a beard. 
 
 bicolor — varieties or cultivars that have one color for the falls and another color 
 for the standards (also see amoena, neglecta, and variegata) . 
 
 blaze — a bursting out of color or radiating color, as on some aril irises. 
 
 blend — a blending of colors on some irises. 
 
 branching — refers to the number, length, and position of side or lateral branches 
 on a flower stalk. 
 
 claw — the claw-like tip of the style arm. 
 
 clump — a group of iris rhizomes. 
 
 crested — a distinct crest on the falls, as on Iris japonica. 
 
 cultivar — a variety found only in cultivation. 
 
 diploid — with double the number of chromosomes characteristic of the somatic 
 
 cells. 
 domed — standards curving over center of an iris flower. 
 endosperm — the nutritive tissue within the embryo sac in a seed. 
 embryo — that part of a seed which develops into a plant. 
 eupogon — with a beard of multicellular hairs, as in true bearded irises. 
 filament — stalk of an anther, a style arm. 
 falls — the petals or sepals that hang down on an iris flower. 
 flamingo — the pink or reddish color of a flamingo. 
 
 haft — the narrow, constricted part of the falls (sepals) and standards (petals). 
 lacy — wavy or crinkled petals. 
 leaf sheath (spathe valve) - - a bract that subtends a flower; may be green or 
 
 dry and papery. 
 neglecta - lavender or light violet standards and purplish falls. 
 novelty applied to an) (lower that differs greatly from the standard, as in 
 
 color combinations, form, or habit of growth. 
 oncobred h\ brid between Oncocyclus iris and another species. 
 
 oncocyclus a group of irises with beard widely scattered on haft, as Iris susiana 
 oncoregelia hybrid between an Oncocyclus and Regelia iris. 
 
 I 32 | 
 
ovary - — the part of the pistil that contains the ovules. 
 
 ovule — an immature seed. 
 
 perianth — the entire floral envelope, petals and falls. 
 
 petaloid — resembling a small petal, as in some Japanese irises. 
 
 plicata — light ground color laced, edged, or stippled with another color. 
 
 pogon — lower petals or falls with a beard, as in bearded irises. 
 
 pollen — the male element produced in the stamens and used to pollinate a 
 flower. 
 
 polyploid — several times the number of chromosomes found in somatic cells. 
 
 regelia — a group of orchids with beards on both standards and falls. 
 
 rhizome — an underground stem. 
 
 rootstock — an underground stem, as in many kinds of irises. 
 
 ruffled — wavy or ruffled petals. 
 
 scarious — dry or papery, as applied to the spathe, as on Iris pallida. 
 
 seed — the ripened ovule which contains the embryo surrounded by nutritive 
 tissues and surrounding covering. 
 
 seed pod — the pod that surrounds the seeds. 
 
 self — a single color, as solid pink or blue. 
 
 signal — the spot of coloring at the base of standards in aril irises. 
 
 somatic cell — a cell in an iris plant as contrasted with a germ cell or gamete. 
 
 spathe — leaflike bracts around the stem and ovary below the petals. Helps pro- 
 tect the flower bud. 
 
 stalk — the flower stem of an iris including main stem and side branches. 
 
 stamen — the pollen-bearing organ of a flower. 
 
 standard — the upright petals of an iris flower. 
 
 stem — see stalk. Supports the flowers on most irises. 
 
 stigma — the sticky band on the underside of the outer style arm where the pollen 
 lodges. 
 
 style — the elongated part of the pistil between the ovary and the stigma. 
 style crest — the tip of the style arm beneath which is found the stamen. 
 substance — stiffness, resistance to touch, ability to stand adverse conditions as 
 
 applied to the falls and standards of an iris flower. 
 tetraploid — four times the number of chromosomes in the somatic cells. 
 triploid — three times the number of chromosomes in the somatic cells. 
 variegata — any variety with variegated colors, especially with yellow standards 
 
 and red or purple falls (see also amoena, bicolor and plicata) . 
 veins — the noticeable veins or colored lines on some iris flowers, especiallv the 
 
 aril irises, and on some Japanese iris cultivars. 
 
 [33] 
 
Jvefe 
 
 erences 
 
 Randolph, L. F. 
 
 1959. Garden Irises, American Iris Society, 2237 Tower Grove Blvd., St. Louis 
 10, Missouri. 
 
 Mitchell, Sydney B. 
 
 1960 (rev.) . Iris for Every Garden, Barrows, 113 E. 32nd Street, New York. 
 
 Grey, Peggy Burke (Ed.) 
 
 1960. Handbook for Judges and Exhibition, American Iris Society, 2237 Tower 
 Grove Blvd., St. Louis 10, Missouri. 
 
 Other sources of iris information are libraries and iris societies. Your Farm 
 Advisor can help identify serious pests or diseases and suggest control measures. 
 
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
 
 Specimens of iris used for photographing came from Cottage Iris Gardens, Hay- 
 ward, California, through the courtesy of Mrs. Ethel Johnson. The section on pest 
 control was reviewed by A. Earl Pritchard of the Department of Entomology: the 
 sec/ion on diseases prepared by Robert I). Raabe of the Department of Plant Pathol- 
 ogy, I nil ersity of California, Berkeley. 
 
 [34] 
 
In order that the information in our publications may be more intelligible it is sometimes 
 necessary to use trade names of products or equipment rather than complicated descriptive or 
 chemical identifications. In so doing it is unavoidable in some cases that similar products which 
 are on the market under other trade names may not be cited. No endorsement of named products 
 is intended nor criticism implied of similar products which are not mentioned. 
 
 Certain spray materials have been mentioned but the user has the responsibility of using any 
 of these according to the directions of the manufacturer. Such spray materials have been passed 
 by authorities on the assumption that the user will use them under the conditions specified by the 
 manufacturer to insure safety. 
 
 10m-8,'61(C630)J.F. 
 
 [35 
 
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 MANUAL 5 / Camellia Culture for the 
 
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