Peter you peaked my curiosity and I checked the Iris Encyclopedia, http://wiki.irises.org/bin/view/ , There are no spurias named Caitlin. The beaked capsule would suggest Iris anguifuga which is mainly responsible for being in cultivation Because of Jim Waddick's trip to China. Anguifuga has the habit of being in full leaf during the winter monthes while many spurias wait till spring to put out new leaves. The flowers of anguifuga look more like Spuria flowers than any other group. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Taggart" <petersirises@gmail.com> To: "Pacific Bulb Society" <pbs@lists.ibiblio.org> Sent: Tuesday, November 29, 2011 2:23:59 PM Subject: Re: [pbs] Iris spuria "Caitlin's Smile" Thanks Jim, I definitely associated it with you, there is very little reference around as to what species it is. I have various plants of Iris typhifolia, which can flower here as early as April, and repeat as late as August. None of them have given a really good show yet. However The plants I received as "Caitlin's Smile" are a blue spuria of modest size, absolutely upright, with a beaked capsule. I shall have to get better pictures of it for identification and sow seeds to see if it is a hybrid, and import some more Caitlin's Smile. Why can't nurserymen give the species names with the names of the cultivars??? -then I would have sorted out this several years ago!!! On Tue, Nov 29, 2011 at 6:08 PM, James Waddick <jwaddick@kc.rr.com> wrote: > >If Iris spuria Caitlin's Smile is as I think, > > > Dear Peter, > If the iris you refer to is 'Caitlin's Smile' then it is > > 'Caitlin's Smile' (James Waddick by Kevin Morley). This means > it is my seedling, but named and registered by Kevin. > > This is a pure Iris typhifolia, a relatively newly > introduced Siberian Iris species, not a spuria iris. It received an > Award of merit in 2011. Incidentally both Kevin and I have daughters > named Caitlin. It blooms very early. >