■ (SPEC) Iris germanica L.

1753, botanical author Linneaus

Iris germanica L. (Carolus Linnaeus, 1753); Section Iris . TB; Early bloom; Color Class-B1M; Medium blue self;

See below:

• * Notes
• * References
• * Synonyms
• * Variations
• * Hybrids
• * Distribution and Cultivation

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Notes

a name of dubious value. It has been used to lump everything from all tall bearded hybrids (xgermanica); to having been narrowly defined as 'Germanica' a widespread cultivar often called 'Grandmother old flags'. Since the definition has varied with so many authors, references to it in this text carry a variety of meanings. for further discussion see J. Taylor (1995).

'Germanica' The clone found in many gardens as 'Grandmother's Blue Flags', probably of natural hybrid origin. Said to be sterile, but will produce seed freely under proper conditions; first treated as a species by Linneaus. This blue intermediate iris with lighter standards and darker falls is best treated as an IB cultivar of unknown parentage, and registered with A.I.S. as a species. If we accept this type of Linnaeus as a hybrid (2n=44) then we are left without an accepted species to which we can assign the various forms and varieties of Iris germanica. Possibly tetraploid forms should be assigned to Iris amasia Foster (2n=48). For this list we have retained the name Iris germanica since it is so widely used and no taxonomist has been brave enough to tackle this disparity. AIS Bulletins gives the following description; "Early; Standards pleroma violet; falls velvety nigosin violet; stalk high and short branched; growth vigorous; 2 ft. Spathes tinged maroon; beard white, yellow tipt at base; haft white with braod reticulations of purple; winter foliage half-grown. Rarely fertile in the north." [Mathew includes many varieties under Iris germanica including tetraploid forms.

References

References: Iris germanica L. in ;
Gerarde 1597; Herbal
Chromosome counts: 2n=44, Banerji & Chaudhuri, 1972; 2n=28, Mao 1986; 2n=44 Sopova 1982; 2n=44, Váchová & Feráková, 1986; 2n=44, Lovka, 1995.
Hort. Eyst. Cel. Eyst. Vern. Ord. 8. Fol. 5. 11 1613, illustrated;
Gordon 1790;
Curtis's Botanical Magazine 18; 670. 1803, illustrated in color;
Redouté, Les Liliacées, 1802
Prince 1823;
Macoun; Farr 1912; Per. 1938; Vilm. 1938; Wass. 1938; Kat. 1939;
"Bearded Iris Tried at Wisley"-Journal of The Royal Horticultural Society 131.; H.C., R.H.S. 1916; AA clvii.;

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Synonyms

Iris nostras; iris hortensis; iris nostras hortensis; latifolia vulgaris coerulea, 1613; Spectabilis, 1796; vulgaris, 1810; violacea, 1815; Florentina purpurea; Parisensis; To the true germanica have also been applied the following common names which are to be treated as synonyms; Blue Bird; Florentina Blue; Germanica ancien; Purple Queen; ("Old Grandmother's Early Blue"); sweet fragrance.

Variations

The following <>cultivars have been said to be forms of Iris germanica;
'Adriatic Shores', 'Amas', 'Askabadensis', 'Baveilles', 'Belouinii', 'Biliotti', 'Black Prince', 'Col Du Chat', 'Cretan', 'Crimson King', 'Croatica', 'Deflexa', 'Florentina', 'Fontarabie', 'Germanica' 'Germanica Alba', 'Germanica Caerulea', 'Germanica Major', 'Germanica Marmorata', 'Germanica Maxima' 'Germanica Violacea', 'Germanica Vulgaris', 'Gnome', 'Gypsy Queen', 'Istria', 'Junonia', 'Kharput', 'Kirman', 'Kochii', 'Kurdistan', 'Lemperg Purple', 'Macrantha', 'Nepalensis”, 'Oriflamme', 'Paladin', 'Purple King', 'Seattle' 'Sivas'; 'Srinagar', 'Thun', 'Turchino', 'Varbosiana', 'Varbossana'.

Hybrids

Germanica crosses other than those with Amas
'Bellorio', 'Carmelo', 'Cosette', 'Daesitiatensis', 'Dorothea', 'Eglamour', 'Father Time', 'Louis Bel', 'Milesaway', 'Mistress Ford', 'Mme Claude Monet'

Iris 'Amas' crosses
'Alcazar', 'Ambassadeur', 'Angelo', 'Anne Bullen', 'Arac', 'Autumn Haze', 'Autumn King', 'Blue Bird', 'Blue Gown', 'Dominion', 'Dorcas Hutcheson', 'Daesitiatensis', 'Dulcimer', 'Edouard Michel', 'Eleanor Roosevelt', 'Frida', 'Grenville', 'Harbinger', 'Ib-Mac', 'Juliet', 'Kiltealy Shy Blue', 'Lady Grey', 'Lent A. Williamson', 'Lochinvar', 'Lord Of June', 'Magnifica', 'Monsieur Chaber', 'Mrs. Walter Brewster', 'Neptune', 'Palmyra, 'Papio', 'Phyllis Bliss', 'Prospero', 'Pumilac', 'René Cayeux', 'Sarpedon', 'Sir John Eaton', 'Souv. De Mme Gaudichau', 'Speed', 'Speedwell', 'Susa', 'Tartarin', 'Twilight', 'Ursula', 'Violet Wonder'.

¼ Iris germanica 'Amas' crosses ("grandchildren" of 'Amas' listed by parent)

• 'ALCAZAR' crosses: 'Aaron', 'Ahwahnee', 'Aljenkes', 'Alkinah', 'Alosaka', 'Al-Rashid', 'Andante', 'Azrael', 'Baldur', 'Birchcroft', 'Bouleuardier', 'Cassandra', 'Chenango', 'Chief Iroqouis', 'Desire', 'Dido', 'Dusk', 'Evensong', 'Feldspar', 'Fortuna', 'Frances', 'George R. Miller', 'Glowing Embers', 'Helio', 'Impressario', 'James Hudelson', 'J. C. Weld', 'Juma', 'Kalif', 'Kirdyaga', 'Lady Bountiful', 'Lady Eleanor', 'Leocrates', 'Mela-Haska', 'Midnight Skies', 'Mrs. Henri Cayeu', 'Modoc', 'Monteserrat', 'Novril', 'Ortrud', 'Ox Heart', 'Petruchio', 'Purple Eve', 'Rosini', 'Rowena', 'Shakoka', 'Sophroni', 'Tubal Cain', 'Warrior', 'Wendon'.
• 'AMBASSADEUR' crosses: 'Aurex', 'Bronze Glory', 'Crown Princess', 'Eleanor Of Toleador', 'Governor', 'Iran Kandahar', 'Kankakee', 'King Philip', 'Klamath', 'M.A. Porter', 'Marotte', 'Mystery Of Night', 'Night', 'Old Salem', 'Oregon Beauty', 'Oregon Giant', 'Penn Treaty', 'Potentate', 'Provincetown', 'Shah Jehan', 'Sheba', 'Sunny Sue', 'Sylvania', 'Theodore', 'Tigral', 'Treasury', 'Tyroler', 'Valor', 'Yakima'.
• 'ANNE BULLEN' crosses: 'Carita', 'Gold Craft'
• 'AUTUMN KING' crosses: 'Blue Frost',' Franklin Rooseveldt', 'King Junior'
• 'DOMINION' crosses: 'Amber Glow', 'Averil', 'Bernardino', 'Bertrand', 'Blue Heaven', 'Bruno', 'Canelands', 'Canopus', 'Cantata', 'Cardinal', 'Centurion', 'Charis', 'Chenoa', 'Colonna', 'Columbia', 'Conchobar', 'Cydnus', 'Dominion Rex', 'Duke Of Bedford', 'Enchantement', 'Erebian', 'Ethereal', 'Eureka', 'Frona', 'Ganges', 'Glamour', 'Grace Sturtevant', 'Hyperion', 'Illuminator', 'Independence', 'Iridescence', 'Jolly Roger', 'Junion', 'Kaza Dagh', 'Khalasa', 'Khartoum', 'Khorason', 'Kukanishi', 'Leonardo', 'Lola', 'Maisie Lowe', 'Majestic', 'Midnight Sun', 'Minnell', 'Moa', 'Mora', 'Nanette', 'Order Of The Purple', 'Ordway', 'Oriel' 'Packard Blue', 'Pecos', 'Pendragon', 'Prairie King Rosakura', 'Red Admiral', 'Red Dominion', 'Reoma', 'Romola', Sandakan 'Shalbruz', 'Sikh', 'Sintram', 'Sir George Grey', 'Sivad', 'Snowking', 'Soloman', 'Song Of India', 'Spring Azure', 'Sugar Cane', 'Sumac', 'Swazi', 'Syhila', 'Talwar', 'Tapestry', 'Tasman', 'Tenebrae', 'Texas Ranger', 'Titan', 'Yeoman'.
• 'DULCIMER' crosses: 'Il Penserosa'.
• 'LENT A. WILLIAMSON' crosses: 'Aaron', 'Alcanna', 'Alencon', 'Alpine Glow', 'Alvarado', 'Amalia', 'Amanecer', 'Anglo-Saxon', 'Antique King', 'Bandellero', 'Bazra', 'Benedictus', 'Bravura', 'Brownlet', 'Buffalo Bill', 'Cantabille', 'Carcanet', 'Cavatina', 'Chenango', 'Corsair', 'Crimson Clover', 'Crucible', 'Dainty', 'Delaware', 'Designer', 'Dolly Madison', 'Dorothy', 'Dr. Mckinney', 'Emperor Arcadius', 'Flamingo', 'Guyasuta', 'James Hudelson', 'Jesse Williamson', 'Juma', 'Lady Joan', 'Lamia', 'Leocrates', 'Magnason', 'Mary Alice', 'Meadow', 'Meredith', 'Milly Mitchel', 'Morning Splendour', 'Muscatel', 'Novril', 'Ox Heart', 'Palamar', 'Potentate', 'Purple Glory', 'Segovia', 'Singing Wood', 'Sir Galahad', 'Sonata', 'Taylor', 'Tropic Seas', 'Tuscany Gold', 'Tuscarira', 'Vallis', 'Wenden', 'Willian Black'.
• 'MAGNIFICA' crosses: 'Alpha Major', 'Cresset' 'Hollywood', 'King Fish', 'Leonardo', 'Olympic' 'Red Eagle', 'Rena'.
• 'SARPEDON' crosses: 'Jennett Dean'.
• 'SOUV. DE MME GAUDICHAU' crosses: 'Amico', 'Anglo-Saxon', 'Arno', 'Athos', 'Avrelle', 'Belmont', 'Birchcroft', 'Blue Deep', 'Blue Dusk', 'Blue Knight', 'Brilliantine', 'Buff Top', 'Campanile', 'Catherine', 'Chief Iroquois', 'Chrysoberyl', 'Clos Voget', 'Cooley Surprise', 'Delaware', 'Devon Maid', 'Dover', 'Dr. Minot', 'Evening Primrose', 'Exemplar', 'Flora Becker', 'Ganges', 'Gault', 'Gawain', 'George R. Miller', 'Guyasuta', 'Indigo Bunting', 'Ishallah' Jesse Williamson' June', 'Knight Kankakee', 'King Philip', 'Maisie Lowe', 'M.A. Porter', 'Massafra', 'Milesaway', 'Modoc', 'Moglia', 'Motif', 'Mrs. Arthur Chenowith', 'Mystery Of Night', 'Night', 'Nocturne', 'Old Salem', 'Ombre', 'On Parade', 'Opata', 'Otterbein', 'Ozark Triumph', 'Pacific', 'Penn Treaty', 'Poet', 'Prince', 'Prendado', 'Proem', 'Provincetown', 'Puritan Maid', 'Purple East', 'Rahere', 'Repose', 'Royal Salute', 'Sail Aloft', 'San Diego', 'Shag-Laska', 'Sierra Blue', 'Sir Knight', 'Sylvania', 'Theodolinda', 'Theodore', 'Titanic', 'Tivoli', 'Trouvaille', 'Via Praenestina', 'Voghera', 'Volturno', 'Weymouth', 'Whitehall', 'Yolande.
• 'TARTARIN' crosses: 'Gabriel'

Other crosses with 'Amas' as grandparent: 'Alpine Halo', 'Anine', 'Amante', 'Ardimac', 'Argyll Las', 'Aril Lady', 'Beautiful Dreamer', 'Bethel Queen', 'Capitola', 'Cinna Mac', 'Clouded Moon', 'Dance Of Spring', 'Don Ricardo', 'Grenville', 'Hidden Secret', 'Hoogimac', 'Lady Mohr', 'Lasting', 'Legacy', 'Little Lena', 'Moonchild', 'Morera', 'My Cap', 'Mystery Guest', 'Norseman', 'Persian Pattern', 'Silver Charm', 'Somewhere', 'Susimac'.

'Germanica Alba'. (Collected). TB; E; W1, White; 2n=44. Offered by John Cree of Addlestone Nursery in 1837. See next entry also. [Iris germanica].

Distribution and Cultivation

Distribution: Region: Northwest Balkan Penninsula, Yugoslavia (for I. xgermanica, (I.pallida x I.variegata)). Note widely naturalized across Europe
Cultivation: Full sun, Well-drained soil. Generally retains some leaves over winter. Summer dormancy during dry conditions is best time to divide and transplant.

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-- BobPries - 2010-01-12