Showing posts with label Aril Society International. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aril Society International. Show all posts

Monday, April 3, 2023

The Aril Society Checklist

 by Tom Waters

When I'm not writing blog posts, one of my many other iris-related activities is serving as checklist editor for the Aril Society International. I've just completed the 2023 update of the checklist, which is available on the ASI website. It occurred to me that there are probably many people who are not aware that the ASI maintains a checklist of aril and arilbred irises, nor aware of what it offers beyond other references. So I thought I would use this blog post to have a look at the checklist and why it is important.

When the Aril Society International was formed in the 1950s, there were no standardized definitions for the various types of aril and arilbred irises. Irises with oncocyclus or Regelia ancestry were registered with the American Iris Society under a bewildering range of classification codes. One of the first tasks of the new society was to sort through all the various registrations and establish specific categories for them. A persistent problem in the early years was that irises of 1/8, 1/16, or even less aril ancestry were being given awards as arilbreds despite being indistinguishable from TBs. The society addressed this by requiring irises to be 1/4 aril or more to be considered as arilbreds. Subsequently, there were two separate award systems created: one for arilbreds of 1/4 to 1/2 aril content, and another for irises of 1/2 aril content or more.

'Loudmouth' (Rich, 1970) won the
C. G. White Award as an OB (1/2 aril)
but is now an OB- (less than 1/2) 
because of a change in definition.

The checklist was critical for establishing which irises met the various award criteria. The editor would take the registration data, do pedigree research, consider an iris's appearance, breeding behavior, and any chromosome counts that had been done, and then assign it to the appropriate category. In days before the internet, the ASI checklist was the only source of this classification information, because it was impractical to reprint the American Iris Society checklists to give updated classifications for arilbreds. The classifications and definitions used by the Aril Society have changed several times over the years, and the checklist is the only authoritative reference on how definition changes have affected the classification of each arilbred iris. Applying the current definitions, which involve estimating the chromosome makeup of each cultivar, is not a trivial matter in some cases.

Here are some of the things you will find in the ASI checklist that may not be presented accurately (or at all) in other sources:

Classification Information. Each iris listed, even historic irises registered long ago under other definitions, are assigned to the current ASI classification, to the extent possible given the existing information. This is of particular value to show classification committees in regions where arils and arilbreds are likely to be exhibited. It is especially important for irises that were once considered arilbreds, but no longer meet the definitions of that class.

Height Categories. In 2018, the ASI established definitions for two height categories for smaller arilbreds: arilbred dwarf (ABD) and arilbred median (ABM). These are included in the current edition of the AIS Judges' Handbook. The checklist gives the correct height category for each arilbred listed.

Chromosome Configuration. Aril and arilbred irises may include chromosome sets from oncocyclus, Regelia, tall bearded, and dwarf bearded species. Which chromosome sets are present in a given iris is of considerable interest to hybridizers, as it affects fertility and helps the hybridizer properly classify any resulting seedlings. The checklist provides the most likely chromosome configuration for most irises listed, along with an actual chromosome count where one has been reported.

Fertility Observations. When an iris is known to have produced offspring as a seed parent or pollen parent, this is noted in the checklist.

Is this 'Bronze Beauty',
'Hoogiana Bronze Beauty',
Iris hoogiana 'Bronze Beauty',
'Bronze Beauty Van Tubergen',
or 'Antiope'? Answer: yes.
Irises Not Eligible for Awards as Arilbreds. An appendix to the checklist provides a thorough listing
of irises that do not qualify as arilbreds for various reasons: never having been registered, having been registered in a non-arilbred class, or having been disqualified as definitions became more strict.

Nonregistered Aril Hybrids. A substantial number of aril hybrids have been introduced, particularly through the firm of Van Tubergen in the Netherlands, that were never registered with the American Iris Society. Some were registered with the Dutch registration authority for bulb irises, while others were simply not registered at all. The checklist includes these in an appendix, along with photographs and other information.

Even today, where so much information seems just clicks away on the internet, the ASI checklist fills an important role in providing authoritative information that is not reliably available elsewhere. It is an important resource for judges, show officials, and hybridizers. Anyone with an interest in aril and arilbred irises should become familiar with what the checklist has to offer.




Monday, August 22, 2022

The American Iris Society Announces the 2022 C. G. White Medal Winner

'ALAKAZAM'

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White Memorial Medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards

'Alakazam'
photo by Jeanette Graham

'Alakazam' (Richard Tasco, R. 2013) Seedling 07-AB-52-07. AB (OGB), 36" (91 cm). Midseason bloom. Standards light pink-lavender ground, veined darker pink-violet; style arms light maize, pink-violet midrib, pink crest, veined darker; Falls light parchment-lavender heavily veined dark burgundy all over to the edge, signal very diffuse and small, veined dark burgundy; beards gold-bronze in middle and throat, burgundy end, sparse and insignificant; medium purple based foliage; regelia form. Seedling 05-AB-10-14: ('Energizer' x 'Desert Embroidery') X 'Desert Embroidery'. Introduced by Superstition Iris Gardens in 2013.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including Award of Merit and Honorable Mention, will be published on the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.


Tuesday, August 24, 2021

The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 Mohr Medal Winners


'HEART OF HEARTS' and 'PARABLE'

The Mohr Medal is restricted to irises of one-quarter or more aril content that do not meet the more restrictive requirements of the Clarence G. White Medal.

It is named in honor of William A. Mohr (1871-1923). About ten years before his death, Mohr began working with irises. He obtained the tetraploid Asiatic species, as well as regelia and oncocyclus irises, and communicated with other iris hybridizers such as Ellen Sturtevant and Samuel Stillman Berry. The two greatest achievements of William Mohr's hybridizing programs are probably his plicatas and his innovative and beautiful arilbreds. His great plicatas are 'Los Angeles' and the iris that won the first American Dykes Medal, 'San Francisco.' Mohr's most important arilbred iris is the magnificent 'William Mohr.' 

Editor’s Note: Due to the pandemic last year, the American Iris Society Board of Directors suspended garden awards. As a result, and for only this year, two medals will be award in this area. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards

HEART OF HEARTS (Paul Black)

'Heart Of Hearts' (Paul Black, R. 2015) Seedling T132C. AB (OGB-), 24" (61 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards icy blue-white, mid old gold base and up ¹⁄₃ of rib; style arms light violet-blue, mid gold edge, ice white crest; falls mid-light lavender, mid auburn hafts and blended veined margin around black cherry signal veined darker, light gold haft veins; beard hairs based grey-white, tips mid grey-brown. 'Galaxina' sibling. 2015 Mid-America.

PARABLE (Thomas Johnson)

'Parable' (Thomas Johnson, R. 2011) Seedling TX155AA, AB (OGB-), 20 (51 cm), Early bloom. Standards and style arms blue violet; Falls red violet veined darker blue, strong black signals; beards dark navy overlaid brown; clean purple base foliage; slight fragrance. 'Puddy Tat' sibling X 'Kalifa's Robe'. Mid-America Gardens 2011.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including award of merit and honorable mention, will be published in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

Monday, August 23, 2021

The American Iris Society Announces the 2021 C. G. White Medal Winners

'RARE BREED' -  'DRAGON'S EYE'

'SHAMAN'S MAGIC'

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White Memorial Medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world, and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

Editor’s Note: Due to the pandemic last year, the American Iris Society Board of Directors suspended garden awards. As a result, and for only this year, two medals will be award in each area; however, three medals are to be awarded due to a tie vote between Dragon’s Eye and Shaman’s Magic. Previous awards winners can be found at https://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards. All images by Rick Tasco.

'Rare Breed' (Richard Tasco, R. 2011) Seedling 03-AB-02-51. AB (OGB), 33" (84 cm), Late midseason bloom. Standards parchment tan (RHS 159A) veined darker, chrome yellow (15C) at base of midribs; style arms chrome yellow, slight red band along ridges, large crests lightly veined red on front; falls red orange, lighter toward edge, chrome yellow veins around beard, slight chrome yellow edge veined red, small oxblood-red (183 A) signal at end of beard; beards golden brown, 1" wide and thick. 'Sheik' X 'Bagdad's Folly'. Superstition 2011.

'Dragon's Eye' (Richard Tasco, R. 2015) Seedling 08-AB-04-06. AB (OGB), 26" (66 cm), Midseason late bloom. Standards cold white, mimosa yellow (RHS 8B) at base, few bright canary yellow veins on midrib; style arms bright canary yellow (9B), darker on rib top; Falls mimosa yellow, darker surrounding signal, large oval shaped dark burgundy signal, darker veins lighter around beard, some dots and streaks at edge of signal; beards golden yellow in throat, bronze yellow ends; slight fragrance. Seedling 05-AB-03-05: (01-AB-13-01: ('Sheik' x 'Bagdad's Folly') x 'Noble Warrior') X 06-AB-05-50: ('Noble Warrior' x 02-AB-26-03: ('Energizer' x 'Bagdad's Folly')). 2015 Superstition.


'Shaman's Magic' (Richard Tasco, R. 2014). Seedling 10-AB-07-02. AB (OGB), 33" (84 cm). Midseason to late bloom. Standards creamy parchment (RHS 155C), veined gold, darker at edges, amber-maize at bottom of midribs; style arms light old gold (162A), red blush along midribs; falls golden yellow edges veined red, red wash, some red dotting bleeding out from signal, signal large oval shaped burgundy-black, recurved; beard hairs based light yellow, tips golden brown, chevron shaped. 'Aztec Prince' X 'New Vision'. Superstition 2014.

The World of Irises blog will be posting classification medal winners as soon as the hybridizers are notified. The entire list of winners, including award of merit and honorable mention, will be published in the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia, and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

Monday, August 19, 2019

2019 CG White Medal

The American Iris Society
Announces
THE CLARENCE G. WHITE MEDAL
'Dubai'

'Dubai'--image by Paul Black

'Dubai' ( Thomas Johnson, R. 2013) AB, OGB. Seedling TC229A. AB (OGB+), 33 (84 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Standards and style arms light lilac-purple; Falls light strawberry-rose, large red-black signal; beards yellow-orange; slight fragrance. 'Lancer' x 'Energizer'. Mid-America 2013. Honorable Mention 2015. Award of Merit 2017.

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White memorial medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world, and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

Monday, July 15, 2019

Talking About Arilbred Irises

By Maggie Asplet

Aril and Arilbred Iris are not something that you would expect to see a lot of in New Zealand.  We are very fortunate to have Bill Dijk and his wife Willy, living in Tauranga, North Island of New Zealand.

Bill is one of those very lucky people with green fingers.  Whatever he does, it just works and is very able to get the impossible to be possible in our climate, with a lot of hard work I must say.

This article was been written by Bill and he has given me permission to publish his take on Aril and Arilbred Irises.


I. acutiloba susp. lineolate growing in coarse material.

When we talk about the aril irises, two very different types of irises are grouped together under the term "aril".   These are the oncocyclus and regelia irises of the Near East.  Although they have beards, they are not classified with the other bearded irises because they are so different in their makeup. Aril irises have derived their name from a little cream aril or a collar-like fleshy appendage of their seed.

Aril seed cut - showing the embryo

The arils show dark signal spots below the beards with much veining and speckling, in an unbelievable range of colours. Unfortunately, the arils are difficult to grow in all but the warmest and driest regions of New Zealand. I will start off by showing a few true aril oncocyclus/regalia species.  

Close-up of spcekling on I.samariae x I. hermona) X I. kirkwoodiae

In this century, hybrids were produced from crossing the arils with the more common bearded irises. These are called "arilbreds" (ABs), and are usually very easy to grow and still display the spectacular features of the arils. The arilbreds are as diverse in colour and form as they are in their genetic makeup and the combinations of these features make this an exciting and challenging group of irises. Unlike their aril ancestors, arilbreds can be grown successfully in a wide range of climates. They give gardeners the opportunity to enjoy the beauty of aril-type flowers without having to provide the special environment the pure arils require. They usually bloom earlier than the TBs, with the SDBs and the IBs.


I. Sheba's Jewel

Culture of Aril and Arilbred Irises

Arils and arilbreds have a reputation for being difficult to grow. This is partly deserved, but also partly the result of misunderstanding. Unfortunately, the word aril is often used rather carelessly to refer to both arils and arilbreds.  These two types, however, are very different in their cultural requirements and their capacity to grow and thrive without special attention.

Growing the pure arils like the oncocyclus and regelia species successfully is a real challenge, and it’s often a question of understanding their cultural requirements and adjusts them accordingly. Not always easy with our sometimes excessive wet, and humid climate in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand. A warm and dry climate like central Otago would be more suitable, somewhat similar to their native habitat.

I. paradoxa atrata. Note its small, dark purple falls.

Today's AB’s (arilbreds) are not hard to grow in most climates. A selection of arilbreds interspersed among a bearded iris planting will find that most of them will grow and flower without any special attention; however, some understanding of  their cultural preferences increases the odds, ensuring a greater rate of success.

Although pure arils are not widely grown, a quick review of their cultural requirements is valuable, because it casts some light on the needs of their arilbred descendants.

The aril irises are the oncocyclus and regelia species from the Middle East and hybrids having only aril irises in their ancestry. The oncocyclus in particular have always posed a challenge to gardeners living outside their native region. They go completely dormant in the summer, which leaves them susceptible to rot in rainy climates. Furthermore, they don’t apologise for being temperamental, sometimes thriving for four or five seasons and then simply dying for no obvious reason. Regelia’s are much more adaptable, but still prefer dry hot summers.

Many different methods have been used for growing/protecting oncocyclus irises, especially during their summer dormancy when they must be kept dry. In cool, wet climates, most growers make use of a shelter/cover/frame, greenhouse or any other form of protection. I build this structure (picture) which is open on both sides for extra ventilation, and elevated bed for extra drainage, that is covered with polycarbonate plastic cover to keep the rain out.  I prefer to leave it on all season in our New Zealand climate to control the often excessive rainfall, warm temps and high humidity at the wrong time during the summer, which could results in rotting of the rhizomes.

Raised protected bed for Arils

This way I do control the cultural requirements like watering when needed, air circulation, feeding, and spraying for any fungal or insect problems.

Knowing the cultural requirements of the pure arils, one can take a few basic steps to improve the rate of success with arilbreds. If you have a choice of planting locations, arilbreds should be placed where light and air circulation are best and where drainage is particularly good. Take steps to avoid or reduce excessive soil acidity. Don't make the mistake of coddling them in a sheltered corner for protection from winter cold; such locations may be shadier and damper during the summer months, and lead to more harm than good. It will not be necessary to dig them or protect them totally from rain during the summer, as most arilbreds do not go completely dormant and are not as vulnerable as the pure arils. However, it is still wise to practice very clean culture and keep an eye out for densely overgrown clumps that could benefit from division. Plan on dividing arilbreds every other year; you may even find a few benefits from annual division!

In general, arilbreds of less than half aril content (this includes most arilbred medians) are to be grown exactly like the bearded irises. Giving them special treatment is unnecessary and may even be harmful, if it causes you to depart from tried and true practices that your bearded irises thrive on.

Those of more than half aril content should receive some preferential treatment. They should not require the full-blown summer protection preparations demanded by the pure arils but will appreciate the best drained, most open, preferably slightly raised location your garden can provide.

Preparing the site

For all arils: first and foremost, sharp drainage is important and the prime requisite for successful culture. They are desert plants, so they need full sun for at least two-thirds of the day. If possible, some protection, or shelter, from rain and cold is helpful.

Washed brick sand, granite, course pumice, or other coarse material, can be worked into the soil to improve drainage. There should be a good supply of calcium. (Gypsum can be used to provide calcium and loosen heavy soil.) If the soil is acid, lime should be added. Planting the irises on hills or ridges can help the drainage in marginal soils. Many people plant arils in raised beds where sharp drainage can be "built in."



To summarise:
  •   full sun
  •   sharp drainage
  •   no water in summer for the pure aril irises while dormant.
Normally, the colours of aril blooms are extremely pure as well as clear. Alternatively, their blooms may even have wonderful blotches that contrast the colour of the flowers. When arils are hybridized with the standard bearded irises, the progenies retain a number of these attributes, while some other progenies may have new, but mesmerizing hues, patterns and streaks.

The falls of aril flowers have another typical characteristic. They may have veins and dotting or stippling in subdued or strong shades. These features may also appear in the standards of aril flowers. The dark, circular spots, also known as "signal", which appear at the end of the falls, are another typical trait of the flowers of oncocyclus irises, which distinguishes them from other iris flowers.

Iris mariae

Ideally, arilbred irises should be planted when they are just getting out of their hibernation or dormant period. You should avoid planting irises during the summer heat, as it is very stressful at this time of the year. Similarly, irises should not be planted during the late autumn just before the harsh winter months. In fact, the best time for planting irises is actually subject to the climatic conditions in your region.

Classification:  Nine Types of Arilbreds? Yes, Really

Although for awards purposes, the American Iris Society sorts all arilbreds into only two classes (less than 1/2 aril content and 1/2 or more aril content), the Aril Society International uses a more detailed system of categories that tracks not only the amount of aril content, but also the type of aril content (oncocyclus, regelia, or both).  

Close up of Iris paradoxa

An arilbred with only oncocyclus and bearded ancestry is an oncobred (OB). One with only regelia and bearded ancestry is a regeliabred (RB). If both oncocyclus and regelia ancestry are present, it is an oncogeliabred (OGB). This is by far the largest category.

If the arilbred has less than 1/2 aril content, it is marked with a "-" sign. If more than 1/2, with a "+" sign. If it has 1/2 aril content exactly, neither a "-" or "+" is used.

Aril seed as a rule are not easy to germinate, and there are several methods of germination:
Stratifying,  cutting and forced germination.  Aril iris seeds can be germinated with the following technique.

Forced germination" this is a technique that is often used for pure aril seeds to hasten germination. This method bypasses the need for any cold treatment.  The forced germination procedure involves cutting  with a scalpel or razor blade across the micropyle, across the end of the endosperm and embryo, in order to create an artificial rupturing of the micropylar barrier, which in natural situations germination could take a long time sometimes years to archive.  I use a special sharp grafting knife which I find personally more reliable and safer.

After soaking the seed for a few days in water (with some fungicide) to soften the seed, the aril and half the seed coat is removed, followed by cutting or slicing enough of the endosperm to expose the end of the embryo. I also borrow my wife’s art-craft 5X magnifying desk lamp with build-in lights for more close-up, hands free detail when slicing or cutting the seed.  

Most people do not do this with arilbreds, which germinate more easily.

Some people would try to stratify them and see what germinates first.  Sometimes temperature cycling is used as well. After all of that you could then try cutting or slicing them for faster germination. Be sure to sterilize the seeds before cutting them, especially for fungal protection when germinating seed in plastic bags or damp sterilized paper towels or whatever method you decide to use.

Points to recommend and remember:
1.   Hydration: Soak the seeds for up to a week in water with systemic fungicide.
2.   Remove the aril carefully (if it's an arilated species), cut the skin and slice a little layer to expose the embryo, which will be visible in the little hole of the endosperm.

Slicing aril seed

You need to be careful not to slice off too much of the embryo or you will negatively affect root formation and also risk damage to the embryo.
3. After cutting, put the seeds in damp perlite or vermiculate in little plastic bags.
I prefer damp sterilised kitchen paper towels for germination.
4.   When germination takes place in 2 or 3 weeks -


I prefer to very carefully transplant the little delicate seedlings directly into a 7cm X 9 cm peat pots, with a spray of systemic fungicide, outdoors in a cool, frost free place. Peat pots have the added advantage of no root disturbance when planted on into its permanent place or suitable container.
Having initial success with the germination, either forced or the traditional method is just the start of further necessary and ongoing special cultural treatment of the beautiful oncocyclus/regalia group.
After cutting/slicing I prefer germinating the seed in damp folded sterile kitchen towels, the moisture content when damp imho is just right for steady germination.  I then place the folded kitchen towels in an ice-cream container with the lid securely in place to prevent moisture loss, in a cool part of the nursery ( 10-15 C ). I inspect the seed at regular intervals for any sign of germination, with many seeds showing a radicle after 2-3 weeks in the damp kitchen towels.

I then proceed to very carefully prick out the sprouted seed, one at a time, in a 7cm X 9cm cm peat pot with 50/50 mixture of compost/fine pumice, water carefully to settle in the little seedling properly. Usually the seedlings ( 5-10 cm) will be ready for transplanting in its permanent place after 4-6 weeks. The very important advantages of the peat pots is no transplanting shock to the delicate seedlings, roots will easily penetrate the peat wall with no loss of growth. Don’t forget to spray the young seedlings with an appropriate fungicide at regular intervals for any possible fungal problems.

As is often the case with any specialist area of horticulture, complacency is the biggest killer and there is no substitute for constant observation, care and proper treatment.  The Oncocyclus and Regelia irises constitute an incredible group of plants that deserve nothing but the best.  The sight of just a single flower takes your breath away and a sight to behold.

To quickly summarise again :
    full sun.
    sharp drainage.
    dry for the pure aril irises, no water in summer while dormant.

These are some cultivation notes on how to grow the beautiful aril and arilbreds irises.

Editor's Note: For more information about aril and arilbred iris, contact The Aril Society International.  For more information about irises in general, contact The American Iris Society.

   


Monday, August 20, 2018

CG White Medal 2018


The American Iris Society
Announces
THE CLARENCE G. WHITE MEDAL
'BYZANTINE RUBY'

'Byzantine Ruby'--image by Lowell Baumuck

'Byzantine Ruby' (Lowell Baumunk, R. 2009). Standards and style arms lavender lightly veined darker; Falls. lavender, slightly more red than standards, 1½" bright maroon-red signal, darker near diffuse yellow beards. Honorable Mention 2012. Award of Merit 2015.

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White memorial medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world, and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

The entire list of winners can be found at http://irises.org/About_Irises/Awards_Surveys/AIS_Awards.html, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES. Pictures can be found at http://wiki.irises.org/Main/InfoAwards2018.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Aril Trek 2018!

by Tom Waters

'Point Well Taken' (McAllister, 1998)
at the Pountney garden
On April 6 and 7, aril and arilbred enthusiasts from parts far and wide converged on Las Cruces, New Mexico, to enjoy each other's company and an astonishing array of arilbreds in bloom.

The Aril Trek was a joint undertaking of the Aril Society International and the Mesilla Valley Iris Society, and the arrangements were all excellent and smoothly executed.

A labyrinth patterned after the one at Chartres Cathedral,
in Howard Dash's garden
Friday evening registration was followed an educational session of "aril bingo" and a panel discussion with Dell Perry, Pete McGrath, Rick Tasco, Perry Dyer, and (much to my surprise) yours truly.

'New Vision' (Tasco, 2012)
at the Dash garden
At the Wilson Garden
The heart of the weekend was four garden tours on Saturday: the small but beautifully designed Pountney garden in the residential Tortugas area south of Las Cruces, the expansive Dash garden high in the West Mesa desert, the glorious Wilson Garden north of the city, with row upon abundant row of perfectly grown irises of many types, and the delightfully ornamented Ayres garden, northeast of the city.

The timing seemed perfect for arilbreds, with both halfbreds and quarterbreds apparently near peak bloom, amidst late medians and early TBs. I got to see many old and new cultivars in bloom that I have not grown myself. It was also rewarding to see such fine arilbred performance in gardens with such different growing conditions: desert sand to river-valley clay, cool verdant niches to sites exposed to the full sun, wind, and temperature extremes of southern New Mexico.

'Dubai' (Johnson, 2013)
at the Wilson Garden
Saturday afternoon featured informative judges training led by Dell Perry (who took us through the intricacies of aril and arilbred classification and characteristics with verve and expertise) and Perry Dyer (who applied his experience and keen eye to show how to look at these varied plants in the garden). Yes, I did pass the test at the end!

'Gideon's Lamp' (McGrath, 2004)
at the Wilson Garden
At the Saturday night dinner, keynote speaker Pete McGrath amazed us all with slides of startlingly beautiful pure aril hybrids and tantalizing arilbred seedlings from his continuing effort to bring bolder veining into this group. Pete's talk was also a story of his experience with aril and arilbred irises, full of deep disappointments and unexpected rewards, and always coming back to the personal dimension: the people and relationships that affected him and his work, often in profound ways.

'Mean Mr. Mustard' (McGrath, 2010)
at the Ayres garden
It was a great weekend. I particularly enjoyed renewing old acquaintances in the iris world, and meeting other new friends I had only known on line. If you are an iris lover, but not sure if you can manage the time and expense of attending a national convention, regional and special-interest gatherings such as the Aril Trek are a comfortable and rewarding way to see some beautiful iris gardens and meet many wonderful people!


Tuesday, January 9, 2018

New, Exciting Mohr-type Irises

By Bryce Williamson

In my one and only year at Chico State, one of the highlights was the ability to go to Leo T. Clark’s garden at Corning and to see his aril and arilbreds in bloom, irises that sadly had a limited growing range for growth. As a result, I have been keenly interesting in the new generation of Mohr-type arilbreds being introduced, often from a combination of medians and half arilbred irises. Current hybridizers have pushed the colors and patterns into new, exciting directions and the flowers, although only a quarter aril, show more of the aril characteristics that make this exotic group of irises so much fun to view especially since growing the half aril hybrids and pure arils can be a challenge in many climates.

Eye to Eye (Keppel) is an example of more aril-like flowers, including the signal,
and the winner of the 2017 American Iris Society Mohr Medal.
Image by Keith Keppel.

The hope of these new Mohr types is that they will expand the areas where they can be grown with little trouble and bring these exotic, flamboyant flowers to a much larger audience both in The American Iris Society and the general gardening public. For a background on these interesting hybrids, Tom Water wrote a informative World of Irises blog,  Arilbred Iris: A Little History.

Older Mohr type hybrids tended to be crosses of tall bearded irises with, at first, William Mohr, but the new hybrids are using medians and tall bearded irises with variety of arilbred hybrids. I do hope you, as I have done, will add some of these varieties to your garden, expanding your bloom season and bringing fresh colors and patterns into your palette of spring flowers.


Calypso Dancer (Tasco)--image by Rick Tasco

Confederate (Rick Tasco)--image by Rick Tasco

At the present time, the leaders in producing this new generation of Mohr type arilbreds includes Keith Keppel, Paul Black, Thomas Johnson, and Rick Tasco.



 Octave (T. Johnson)--image by Paul Black
 Sri Lanka (T. Johnson)--Image by Paul Black
Suspect (T. Johnson)--image by Paul Black

These are garden irises of limited fertility.  Paul Black in email wrote, "For most here is no fertility, especially the 1/2 breds X SDB....There is a very limited fertility with a few--meaning a seed of two."


His seedling V351A, pictured below, is "the result of Brash and Bold X reblooming TB seedling and there was only 1 seed in the cross, though V351A does show some limited fertility."

Brash and Bold (Black)--image by Paul Black


Black V351A--image by Paul Black

He was extremely lucky with the cross that produced four introductions, ‘Heart of Hearts’, ‘Galaxina’, ‘Perry Dyer’, ‘Red Ahead’ and ‘Soaring Falcon’ are all siblings.  As he wrote, "What a cross!  I’ve gotten a few seed from a couple of them and Adam Cordes has gotten 7 seeds from ‘Heart of Hearts.’"


Soaring Falcon
Red Ahead


 Heart of Hearts

Perry Dyer--images by Paul Black

In responding to my question about the range where these hybrids will grow and bloom, he wrote, "Yes, the aril-medians (1/2 bred X SDB) will grow further south than SDBs.  ‘Desert Snow’ has grown well and bloomed in Manitoba, Canada, and also for Walter Moores in Mississippi.  That probably accounts for its popularity."





Desert Snow--images by Paul Black

At this point, there are only a few sources for plants. Two reputable sources are Mid America and Superstition. Click on the nursery name and it will take you to a link where you can find out more information from the garden owners.




Monday, November 7, 2016

Arilbred Irises: A Little History

Tom Waters

'Brash and Bold' (Black, 2009),
William Mohr medal 2106
(arilbred median)
The story of arilbreds begins in the late 19th century, when the exotic aril iris species of the Middle East found their way into the gardens of European plant enthusiasts. Sir Michael Foster, England's foremost iris expert at the time, tried his hand at crossing the arils with the more familiar tall bearded (TB) irises. His motives were mainly exploratory; at the time, no one knew if the arils and bearded irises were compatible, or whether desirable garden plants might result from crossing them.

Although these early arilbreds were interesting plants, showing features of both parents, they were also quite sterile. Arils and TBs were just too distantly related to produce fertile offspring when crossed. One might expect hybridizers to simply give up on the idea, but many kept trying. The allure of the arils, with their huge globular blooms, often strikingly marked with velvety signals, veins, and stippling, was not something to be lightly set aside. Also, the arils themselves were difficult to grow in England and much of the US, demanding very dry conditions when dormant in summer and winter. So the great hope was that crossing arils with TBs could produce an aril-like bloom on a plant that could grow in any garden where TBs grow.

The famous iris breeder William Mohr, working in California, produced an arilbred iris that seemed close to fulfilling this dream. Named for him posthumously in 1925 by his friend and fellow iris expert Sidney Mitchell, the iris 'William Mohr' was an instant sensation. Its large blooms and wide falls, inherited from its aril parent Iris gatesii, proved irresistible in an era when most TBs had relatively small, narrow flowers.

'Elmohr'
Like the other arilbreds of similar pedigree, 'William Mohr' was essentially sterile. But it was so popular that hybridizers all over the country kept making crosses with it, ever hopeful. And occasionally 'William Mohr' would reward such persistence by producing a seed or two. We now understand that these seeds were the result of unreduced gametes, where an ovule is produced by bypassing the normal cell division. Usually it was TB pollen used in making these crosses, so the resulting seedlings were 1/4 aril. 'Mohrson' and 'Grace Mohr' were the first introduced, in 1935, launching a tradition of working "Mohr" into the name of these arilbreds. One of these, 'Elmohr' (P. A. Loomis, 1942) became the first and only arilbred to win the Dykes Medal. In this way, William Mohr became associated with the "quarterbreds" (arilbreds of 1/4 aril ancestry), even though he himself never produced any irises of this type.

Although less widely appreciated than the famous 'William Mohr', there was actually one truly fertile arilbred in cultivation at this time, 'Ib-Mac' produced by the Dutch firm of Van Tubergen and introduced in 1910. Unreduced gametes were once again involved, as its aril parent Iris iberica produced an ovule will two sets of aril chromosomes instead of the usual one. 'Ib-Mac' thus ended up as a balanced tetraploid, with two sets of aril chromosomes and two sets of bearded chromosomes, a configuration that is usually fertile.

Crossing 'William Mohr' with 'Ib-Mac' produced the fertile arilbred 'Capitola' (Frank Reinelt, 1940). Many hybridizers now began using 'Capitola' pollen on TBs, a much surer way to produce quarterbreds than hoping for the occasional seed from 'William Mohr'. These quarterbreds were also colloquially referred to as "Mohrs".

The frustration for hybridizers of this era was that although one could produce quarterbreds by crossing 'William Mohr', 'Ib-Mac', or 'Capitola' with TBs, there was no easy way to get more arils into the mix. The quarterbreds only showed moderate aril characteristics, and did not go very far in capturing the appeal of the aril species themselves.

'Oyez'
The great breakthrough in arilbred breeding came from the work of Clarence G. White in the 1940s. Based in southern California, he was able to grow many pure arils and use them extensively in his hybridizing. His early hybrids, such as the perennially popular 'Oyez' (White, 1938), were infertile diploids, but eventually fertile arilbreds began to appear among his seedlings. The first to be introduced was 'Joppa Parrot' (White, 1948). In the decade that followed, a steady stream of fertile arilbreds in a remarkable range of colors and patterns issued from White's garden. We do not know exactly how this happened, because by this time White had given up on keeping records of his crosses, claiming it took too much time away from making the actual crosses. Most likely it was the sheer volume of his breeding program that made these breakthroughs possible. With an enormous number of seedlings, even unlikely events such as unreduced gametes are bound to happen from time to time. The fertile C. G. White arilbreds were later shown to be balanced tetraploids (like 'Ib-Mac' and 'Capitola') with two sets of aril chromosomes and two sets of TB chromosomes.

The 1950s saw the founding of the Aril Society International (ASI). Despite the name, its membership was largely concentrated in southern California, with a few in New Mexico and elsewhere. The ASI in its early years provided a much-needed framework for defining the arilbred class and encouraging the breeding of arilbreds with clear, strong aril flower characteristics. To be classified as an arilbred, an iris could have no less than 1/4 aril ancestry. Hybridizers had often crossed the early quarterbreds back to TBs, sometimes for several generations, promoting the progeny as "arilbreds", although their aril genes had in most cases dropped by the wayside, leaving plants that were for all intents and purposes just TBs. The ASI cooperated with the American Iris Society to establish the C. G. White award for best arilbred in 1961. In 1969, the William Mohr award was added for arilbreds of less than 1/2 aril ancestry, restricting the C. G. White award to those that are 1/2 or more aril. This further encouraged hybridizers to focus on arilbreds with strong aril characteristics. Both these awards attained medal status in 1993.

With the "fertile family" of C. G. White arilbreds firmly established, arilbred breeding at last came into its own. As breeders continued to work with these fertile arilbreds, they improved both in gardenability and in the form, color, and pattern of the flowers themselves. The original C. G. White hybrids typically had only a small diffuse signal patch, and veining that was indistinct and blended. Through the extended effort of dedicated arilbred hybridizers, we now have arilbreds with huge, dramatic signals, striking crisp veining, and an extraordinary range of bright clear colors.

'Anacrusis'
Most fertile arilbreds today derive almost entirely from the original C. G. White introductions. A few notable additions to the family appeared subsequently: 'Welcome Reward' (Sundt, 1971), Henry Danielson's fertile regeliabreds such as 'Genetic Artist' (Danielson, 1972), and Harald Mathes's fertile arilbred medians beginning with 'Anacrusis' (Mathes, 1992). Fertile arilbred seedlings produced by Samuel Norris from his tetraploid arils crossed with TBs also appear in the pedigrees of some modern arilbreds.

The fertile "C. G. White type" arilbreds have also opened up other new areas of arilbred breeding. Crossed with TBs, they have given us quarterbreds that are much more aril-like than the old "Mohrs", and crossed with the standard dwarf bearded (SDB) irises, they have produced the charming arilbred medians, which are at least as popular as the taller quarterbreds today.

The history of arilbred breeding has progressed from an early period of difficulty and frustration, through the breakthrough of C. G. White's "fertile family" to a modern era of continual improvement and expanding diversity. What will the future bring?