Dear Friends,
I am glad to see the comments my post generated.
As I mentioned earlier I grew a bunch of these years ago, but
not recently. I was looking at more web pix and see that the majority
of these have the Belamcanda form. I distinctly recall that there
were some really beautiful pastel Iris-form seedlings too. I don't
know the history of Norris's original crosses, but I wonder if these
were straight Belamcanda x Pardanthopsis or some back crosses to
either parent were involved too. His seedlings showed a much bigger
range of colors than you'd have any right to expect.
Iris dichotoma is always purple
Iris domestica is usually orange, but a yellow form ('Hello
Yellow') is also common and I recently saw a beautiful bright pink
form.
The old seedlings were all these colors, plus red, white,
bicolors and in both forms.
I should also mention that Darrell Probst of Garden Vision
has hybridized these to produce a new range of hybrids with hundreds
of flowers per stem. You can see some of these at
http://www.jpwflowers.com/intropardancandas.html and you can read
more in their catalog at http://www.jpwflowers.com/JPW2009List.pdf
Some comments: Iris dichotoma usually opens its flowers in
mid to late afternoon ( Jim McK mentioned one common name of 'Vesper
iris for this habit) . They last a few hours and then fade, but there
are a large number of flowers per plant (easily 75 to 100) so the
stalk will show color for an extended bloom. New hybrids can have 5
times as many flowers. Iris domestica flowers stay open longer, but
they too each last a day and are replaced by many others.
Iris domestica (Belamcanda) has a wide distribution from
India through China to Japan and beyond. It has naturalized in parts
of Missouri and you can run across patches at old homesteads and in
open woodlands. Plants seem long lived.
Iris dichotoma has a much smaller natural range in NE China,
to adjacent parts of Russia to N. Japan. It is a plant of open
grasslands. I saw a vast expanse of this plant on a treeless plain of
Inner Mongolia fully exposed to sun, snow and passing herds.
It is very interesting to hear about the difficulties some
people seem to have growing these species and hybrids or having long
term success. Here both parents seem fairly easy and quick form seed.
It is also disappointing to hear that 'muddy colors' seem to
predominate in at least some sources today. I recall the bright jewel
like tones of early seedlings.
All just adding to the intrigue and the curiosity to grow
more and know more.
Thanks for all the input. Jim W.
--
Dr. James W. Waddick
8871 NW Brostrom Rd.
Kansas City Missouri 64152-2711
USA
Ph. 816-746-1949
Zone 5 Record low -23F
Summer 100F +