Iris TOW A common error

Robt R Pries rpries@sbcglobal.net
Fri, 12 Mar 2004 08:21:47 PST
 One of the problems with Iris is that cetain species are constantly mislabeled. One of these is Iris lactea. It has been going around under the name Iris songarica for several years now. Unless someone has gotton seeds of songarica that they are growing collected from the wild it is unlikely that anyone besides Jim Waddick would have songarica in cultivation. Lactea is a variable species. There are some indications that it may actually be a composite of two very similar species but there is nor enough evidence as yet to support this claim. Nonetheless there are foems that perform in certain areas much better than others. The Denver Botanic Gardens grows one that Panayoti kelaidis swears smells like lighter fluid. To my nose it smells like hyacinths and I believe it is Farrers 'Hyacinthiana'. This is attractive because unlike many of the others the flowers emerge before the leaves have elongated and it provides a mound of blossoms. Unfortunately iy is extremely hard to transplant.
 Some seedlings have shown a tendency to rebloom. But if you see a plant labeled songarica, it is very likely it is really lactea.


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