Iris received its generic name during the time of the ancient Greek scientist and naturalist Theophrastus. Due to the rich colors of the flowers, this plant was named after the goddess of the rainbow - Iris. The variety of colors of irises is amazing, which fully justifies its name (Iris translated from ancient Greek means “rainbow”).
In terms of the variety of shades, sophistication of color and structure, the iris flower is comparable to an orchid, which is why in the middle zone the iris is called “ garden orchid».
On chilly winter days, every gardener is transported in his imagination to the enchanting world of colors and the magic of blooming flowers. And when the long-awaited warmth arrives, our favorite irises give us their delightful rainbow flowers.
I live in St. Petersburg, located about 60 degrees north latitude, in the so-called zone risky farming. According to the prevailing opinion, this region is poorly suited for highly ornamental crops, including modern varieties of bearded irises. However, based on my many years of experience in growing these wonderful plants, I can confidently say that you can enjoy the flowering of irises in our northern latitudes, not to mention middle lane Russia.
Irises in nature and garden
The Iris family, or Iridaceae, is numerous. It includes about 100 genera and 1800 species. In nature, these related plants are found on all continents, and therefore sometimes differ sharply from each other in their requirements for light, heat, and moisture.
Garden irises are divided into several classes. There is still no generally accepted classification of irises in the world.
Americans are the leaders of modern iris growing. The American Iris Society (AIS) has existed since 1928; here its own classification of irises has been developed.
The Russian Iris Society (ROI), of which I am a member, has existed for 15 years. And it also introduced its own classification of irises.
The only class that does not cause controversy among experts is the class of Standard Tall Bearded Irises. This is the largest and most popular group of garden irises.
Classification and flowering dates of bearded irises
Bearded irises are divided into several classes:
- Tall bearded irises (TB) – tall plants with large flowers; peduncle at least 70 cm, up to 120 cm. This class is sometimes called German iris.
- Curb beardedirises(BB) - plants with a peduncle height in the range from 41 to 70 cm. They bloom simultaneously with the previous class.
- Miniature tall beardedirises (MTB) have a stem height of 41 to 70 cm and bloom at the same time, but differ from the previous class in more miniature flowers and thin stems.
- Sideshow irises (I.B.) - plants of the same height (from 41 to 70 cm). Bloom after dwarf irises, in front of tall bearded irises.
- Standard dwarf bearded irises (S.D.B.) – peduncle height from 21 to 40 cm; bloom after Miniature Dwarf irises.
- Miniature dwarf bearded irises (MDB) - the earliest flowering and smallest bearded irises, peduncle height up to 20 cm.
According to their flowering time, iris varieties are divided into:
OR (VE) - Very Early;
P (E) – Early;
S (M) – Average;
SP (ML) – Medium-late;
P (L) – Late;
OP (VL) - Very Late.
Selection of iris varieties with different terms flowering will allow long time admire the blooming irises in the garden.
Flower structure bearded iris
Let's look at some terms used in iris growing.
The iris flower consists of 6 perianth lobes:
- fouls- three lower petals (outer perianth lobes);
- standards- upper petals forming a dome (inner perianth lobes).
Goateeiris- thick bristly villi, which are located on the upper part of each of the three lower petals (fouls) starting from their base.
Inside the iris flower, under the double protection of the standards and pistil are located stamens with anthers.
Pistil column iris flower divided into three wide blades, each of which ends supraglottic ridge.
Shoulders- the edges of the lower petals of a flower at their bases.
Lace- blistering along the edges of iris petals.
Coloring of bearded irises
A novice iris grower needs to learn the division of iris varieties by color:
- Single coloririses (self) - their perianth lobes are colored the same. They come in white, blue, blue, purple, lilac, pink, yellow, brown, red and almost black. For example: red-brown varieties “African Mahogani”, “Vitafire”. Black varieties include “Superstition”, “Black tie Affair”.
- Two-tone irises (bitone) - have different shades in the upper and lower lobes of the perianth. So, the upper petals can be lilac, and the lower petals can be purple. Such varieties are called " neglikta" An example of a two-tone iris: the flower of the Thor Gun variety has pink top and dark pink bottom.
- Bicolor irises (bicolor) - have upper and lower petals different colors. For example, the variety "Havana".
Among the two-color irises, the following stand out:
- Amena (amoena) - varieties with upper white petals in any color combination with the lower ones (for example, the “Margarita” variety);
- Variegata (variegate) – varieties with yellow upper petals and dark red bottom (for example, Creme d, OR);
- iridescent(Blend) – varieties in which the flowers are painted in several colors, gradually turning into each other (for example, varieties “Planned Treasure”, “Celebration song”).
- Plicata (plicata) - on the iris perianth lobes there is a pattern: dark strokes or dots, or a contrasting border on a white, yellow or pink background (for example, varieties “Can Can Red”, “Huckleberry Fudge”).
- Luminata- pattern of light veins along dark background iris perianth lobes;
- Fancy plicata– a pattern on iris petals, combining plicate and luminata patterns;
Selection and purchase of bearded irises
The variety of shapes and colors of flowers in bearded iris varieties is inexhaustible. This creates rich opportunities for, which is not so complicated.
Hundreds of new varieties of bearded irises are registered every year, and greatest number of these are tall bearded irises.
Currently, over 60,000 varieties of bearded irises are registered in the world. The first place in breeding work so far belongs to the United States. The largest iris growing companies are also located there: “Schreiner Iris Gardens”, “Mid America Gardens”, etc.
There are also iris growing companies in Australia and France. The Dutch do not know how to grow bearded irises, so we will leave bulbous plants in their competence.
It is very difficult for Russians to order irises abroad - they must have a quarantine permit obtained from the Ministry of Agriculture, and also go through a number of bureaucratic obstacles (including our customs). All this requires a lot of time, expense and worry. Therefore, it is easier to find out the address of a reliable iris collector, a member of the ROI, and familiarize yourself with his catalog. Make an order in advance in the spring, which will be confirmed after prepayment.
I do not recommend purchasing irises from random people, or in beautiful factory packaging. Believe my bitter experience - except for disappointment, these dubious acquisitions will not bring anything. It would be good if, instead of the “Idis Wolford” shown on the package, the people’s favorite “Stepping Out” or “Margarita” blossoms. Usually, instead of the mentioned varieties, nondescript gray-brown iris grows.
Tall bearded irises are very popular in the world. At least one or more of these varieties can be found in almost every garden of a Russian flower lover.
Irises interlude - a magnificent middle
Another class of bearded irises, which is still little familiar to most gardeners, is the medium-sized irises.
In order not to overburden readers with numerous terms on English, I will not describe their features in detail.
Some iris growers call medium-sized irises, according to the generally accepted classification of the American Iris Society, “interlude.”
In the Russian Iris Society, this class is called connecting medium-sized bearded irises. Varieties of this class are united by the height of the peduncle, varying between 41-70 cm. They are located between the most common class - tall bearded irises, the height of the peduncle of which often reaches a meter - and dwarf irises with a height of less than 40 cm. Therefore, in the iris growing literature, medium-sized irises are nicknamed " golden mean."
However, these “average” irises are far ahead of tall bearded irises in terms of vitality. They are more frost-resistant, and are also more resistant to the scourge of irises - bacteriosis, which usually attacks plantings in mid-summer and causes significant harm to the most valuable varieties of tall irises.
In our capricious St. Petersburg climate, at the peak of flowering of tall bearded irises (usually mid-June, at temperatures above +25 degrees), wind and rain often blow. The elements deal a sudden blow and cause irreparable harm to blooming irises - the opened flowers are filled with moisture; The peduncle cannot stand it and falls.
Unfortunately, this often coincides with the annual iris exhibition. Bad weather negatively affects the quality of selected plants for the exhibition, for public viewing and judging.
Medium-sized bearded irises do not face this problem, since they have already bloomed beautifully in the May sun. And for those varieties that are still blooming, gusts of wind are not scary - the “average” varieties have a squat and strong peduncle.
Medium-sized irises are indispensable in mixborders. Their overgrown clumps stand out brightly against the background and.
Sideshows are often used by landscapers in their work, and are also grown by lovers of “lazy” gardens.
A bright white-yellow spot, attracting everyone’s attention from afar, stands out in my garden as a clump of irises of the “Protokol” variety by the American breeder Keppel. The medium-sized border iris “Brown Lasso” looks great - its yellow-lilac petals are framed by a brown border.
The “Vatik” variety looks unusual: against the blue background of its petals it looks like fancy pattern from white stripes.
Medium-sized irises of the “Country Dance” variety (pink-orange color) and the “Dark Waters” variety (black-violet color) planted nearby create a magnificent contrast and well-combined color scheme.
The Australian variety “Lyrique” looks magnificent and mysterious in my garden: a flashy wine-plum spot stands out against the silver-blue background of its petals.
The small number of varieties of medium-sized irises is explained by the complexity of breeding work. The pollen necessary for breeding new varieties is mostly fertile - as a result, seed pods do not set well. However, thanks to the painstaking work of foreign breeders and domestic iris growers, new and increasingly decorative varieties medium-sized irises.
Favorite irises
Irises - general information, classification
General information
Iris (family Iris). In common parlance, killer whale, cockerel. It grows naturally in Europe, Asia, North America and on the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. In total, up to 250 species of iris have been described. In our country, it is distributed in the Central Asian republics, Transcaucasia, the Caucasus, Moldova, Siberia, Ukraine, Belarus, the Non-Black Earth zone of the Russian Federation and other zones where there are up to 60 wild species.
Some representatives of the iris genus have adapted to growing in damp places along river banks and in low places, others - on dry calcareous slopes and even in saline areas. The wide range of the genus indicates the great ecological plasticity of this plant. For example, Russian iris grows successfully under natural conditions in Siberia, the Carpathians, and Central Asia.
Iris is a fairly well-wintering perennial polycarpic herbaceous monocotyledonous plant with broadly or narrowly xiphoid linear vaginal basal leaves located in fan-shaped bunches at the top of growing vegetative shoots. The leaves are arranged alternately in one plane and pressed tightly against one another. Depending on the varietal and biological features and the age of the plant, the fan-shaped bunch consists of 6–10 leaves, with the exception of more than 12.
Depending on the type of iris leaf length varies significantly:
- in short forms from 5 to 10 cm
- in powerfully developed species, leaves reach a length of 2 m
- in cultivated varieties belonging to the garden iris, the length of the leaf blade reaches 6–110 cm with a width of 2.5–6 cm.
The color of the leaves at the beginning of the growing season is light green; by the flowering period, when a waxy coating appears, it becomes dark green with a bluish tint. The leaves are tough, with rough parallel nerves and a large amount of sclerenchyma tissue, which contributes to their strength.
Some types of iris, such as the Siberian iris, are quite shade-tolerant and can grow successfully and bloom regularly in shaded areas. Cultivated varieties of garden hybrid iris are demanding on lighting. They can grow satisfactorily in shaded areas, but abundant annual flowering usually occurs when planted in open sunny areas. In the southern regions of our country, when there is plenty of sun, light shading of plants is sometimes useful.
Classification of irises
In gardening practice, a simplified classification is usually used, which often does not take into account the degree of genetic relatedness between plants. Abroad, it is widely accepted to divide irises into 13 or 17 groups.
Without breaking general principle, iris growers in our country proposed dividing garden irises into 10 groups:
- bearded,
- Aril and Arilbreds,
- Louisiana,
- Pacific coast irises,
- Siberian,
- spuria,
- Hana-shobu, or Japanese,
- Evansia,
- remontant,
- little known.
Used in culture modern varieties with a complex genetic nature, originating from both intervarietal and interspecific crossings and belonging to the bearded group, are united under the name German iris, or garden hybrid iris. According to the height of the peduncle, all varieties are divided into low-growing - up to 40 cm, medium-growing - from 40 to 70 cm and tall - over 70 cm; according to the size of the flowers - small-flowered (width within the bend of the outer lobes 6-8 cm), medium - perianth width from 8 to 10 cm, large-flowered - over 10 cm; according to the color of the perianth lobes - into one-color, two-color and plicate.
The iris rhizome is the vegetative underground stem of the plant. It has a stem growing point and cambial cells. Scales (modified leaves) are formed at the nodes of the rhizome. In the axils of the scales, vegetative buds are laid and formed, giving rise to new underground thickened shoots. The latter are connected to each other by constrictions. On the constrictions there are visible traces of the attachment of leaves from previous years and there may be dormant buds, which, as a rule, do not awaken during the normal development of the plant in favorable seasons.
The rhizome consists of shortened and thickened annual segments, called links in practice. The development of each such link usually lasts two years. Almost three growing seasons pass from the initiation of a vegetative bud in the leaf axils to the death of the generative shoot. On the young (juvenile) annual link of the rhizome, intensive formation and differentiation of vegetative buds begins in early July. At the end of July, a generative bud is formed, the differentiation and formation of which most actively occurs in late August - September. By the end of October - beginning of November, the formation of all inflorescence organs and flowers is completed and everything is covered with involucre leaves.
On next year During the life cycle, leaves develop from vegetative buds, in the axils of which new buds are laid and formed. A generative shoot develops from a generative bud. After the seeds ripen, the peduncle dies. At the base of the dying peduncle, two large vegetative buds are formed on the vegetative shoot, from which new annual links with lateral vegetative and central generative buds develop the following year.
Adult iris plants on poor soils with poor care and insufficient moisture supply annually do not lay flower buds, annual links vegetative shoot are shortened and thinned. All lateral buds become dormant, and the rhizome loses its ability to branch. Such a rhizome usually forms only vegetative organs. After accumulating a sufficient amount of reserve substances, the plant begins to flower, forming cyclic shoots.
Annual shoots of the rhizome - links in cultivated varieties can reach a length of 8–15 cm with a thickness of up to 5 cm and, as a rule, carry a huge supply of nutrients, primarily in the form of complex carbohydrates. New links grow to the sides and slightly upward, which allows the plant to grow in a circle. Young links, exposed and emerging on the soil surface, move away from the place where the plant was initially planted, but the connection between them remains.
The duration of rhizome viability depends on the species and varietal characteristics, as well as on the meteorological conditions of the growing area. In the southern regions of Ukraine and Moldova, the rhizome dies off in the 6th–8th year, in the Non-Chernozem zone - in the 3rd–5th year.
The rhizome grows on the upper side, and gradually dies off on the lower side, which leads to the separation of young plants, that is, the rhizome ruptures in the center of the plant. In garden and park plantings, an overgrown plant with an empty middle loses its decorative effect. In addition, old plants are more susceptible to fungal diseases.
Young, actively functioning rhizomes are covered with vaginal leaves, have developed cord-like adventitious roots with bottom side. These roots are located almost vertically downwards. On well-cultivated soils, iris roots are able to penetrate to a depth of more than 50 cm.
The rhizomes of most iris species are located in the very top layer soil or spread on its surface. In varieties of garden hybrid iris, during the period of growth of links, the rhizome rises somewhat. Then the powerfully developing contractile roots of the second wave of growth, going deeper into the soil, contract, retract and firmly hold the rhizome. If iris plants are not replanted for a long time (some varieties and species can grow in one place for up to 8–10 years), then individual links are forced to the surface. Such plantings are hilled up and insulated before wintering.
At the place where the leaves are attached, after they die off, leaf scars remain on the annual link of the rhizome. The withered flowering stem at the top of the rhizome leaves depressions that are covered with cork tissue. Healing depends on agricultural technology, conditions of the growing season and determines the duration of viability of the entire rhizome. When digging up an old rhizome, you can accurately determine the age of the plant and the alternation of favorable and unfavorable seasons by the number of leaf marks on its annual links. The indentations in the upper part of the rhizome can be used to determine the frequency of flowering.
Iris flowers
The garden hybrid iris has three types of generative shoots:
- sessile,
- short-branched,
- long-branched.
The flowering stem is quite tall, erect, cylindrical, strong and durable due to the development of mechanical tissue, reaching a height of 100 cm. By the end of flowering (during the formation of seeds), the flowering stem becomes hollow.
The iris flower is bisexual, single-covered, simple, with bracts sitting at the ends of the peduncles. In most species, the perianth has six petals, arranged, like those of the gladiolus, in two circles: three on the outside, three on the outside. inside. The three outer perianth lobes are often bent downward, sometimes located more vertically. The three internal lobes are raised upward and often close at their ends. This unusual arrangement of the inner and outer perianth lobes makes the flower very unique.
The upper wide part of the petal is usually called the plate, and the lower part, which tapers and thickens towards the base, is called the marigold. The narrowed parts of the perianth grow together at the bases, forming a tube, the length of which depends on the type of plant. The outer lobes perform main role in the mechanism of opening and closing a flower.
The beard of the garden hybrid iris consists of multicellular hairs along which insects penetrate to the nectaries. Nectar-bearing glands are located at the base of the filament and fill small cavities with nectar. The uneven hairy surface of the beard causes insects to rise when moving along the petals. Touching the stigma of the pistil, they apply pollen with their backs, which fell on them when visiting other iris flowers. If the beard has a contrasting color compared to the color of the flower, then the decorative effect of the latter benefits from this.
This plant has pronounced proterandry, that is, the anthers burst and pollen spills out of them before the stigma is ready to receive it. Pollen remains viable on the flower for 2–3 days. On the inflorescence, the flowers open sequentially from top to bottom. From 1 to 5 flowers can bloom on an inflorescence at the same time.
Early flowering species and varieties in the Non-Chernozem Zone bloom in the first half of May, late varieties - in July. Consequently, with the correct selection of varieties and species, the flowering of irises can be extended up to 80 days.
The fruit is a membranous capsule, cracking at the top, of a brownish or brownish-straw color, filled with large ribbed wingless seeds that have a wedge-shaped, elongated round or ovoid shape. There are 10–24 seeds in a box. The seeds have light or dark brown shades.
One of the most stunning spring-blooming herbaceous perennials is the Properly Bearded Iris. Having a rich palette of colors and shades, divided into groups according to flowering time and height, it has become not just a decoration for gardens, but a source of pride for many collectors. Its selection has a rich history and includes tens of thousands of registered varieties and cultivars unknown to a wide range of people. But, despite the diversity, breeding work does not stop, perhaps because crossing iris sometimes gives amazing results and is not considered difficult.
Low growing bearded iris 'Enchanted Mocha'. © Eric Hunt
Classification of bearded iris
Bearded iris has a rather complex hybrid origin. His ancestors are different natural views: German iris, dwarf iris, Trojan iris, Cypriot iris, pale iris, etc. That is why it has so many forms and varieties. And it is for this reason that it still does not have a single classification recognized throughout the world.
The simplest classification of bearded iris is division by height. The low-growing group includes plants with a height of only 40 cm. The medium-growing group includes plants up to 70 cm. All varieties above 70 cm are considered tall.
At the same time, dwarf irises are divided into miniature, with a peduncle height of up to 20 cm and one to three flowers on it, and standard - with a peduncle height of 21 to 40 cm and two to four flowers.
Iris ‘Gypsy Romance’. © NYBG
Medium-sized bearded irises are divided into 4-flowered (IB - intermediate bearded), those that have more than 6 flowers on one peduncle (BB - boarder bearded), and the so-called miniature (MTB - miniature tall bearded).
The tall group is not divided into subgroups.
According to the classification adopted by the Russian Iris Society (ROI), Properly Bearded irises are divided into:
- Tall Bearded (TV – Tall Bearded);
- Standard Medium Bearded (SMB – Standard Median Bearder);
- Small-Flowered Median Bearder (SFMB - Small-Flowered Median Bearder);
- Binding Medium Bearded (IMB – Intermediate Median Bearder);
- Standard Dwarf Bearder (SDB – Standard Dwarf Bearder);
- Miniature Dwarf Bearder (MDB – Miniature dwarf Bearder);
- Non-Aril-like Arilbreds ((-) AB – Non-Aril – like Arilbreds);
- Arils and Aril-like Arilbreds (AR& (+)AB (Arils and Aril-like Arilbreds)
According to the flowering periods, bearded irises are:
- very early (V – very early),
- early (E - early),
- mid-early (ME – medium-early),
- medium-late (ML – medium-late),
- late (L – late),
- very late (VL – very late).
There are also varieties with repeated (two or more) flowerings - remontant (Re - Rebloomers), but in the conditions of most of our climatic zones, unfortunately, in the vast majority of cases, remontantness does not manifest themselves in them, so there is practically no data on them in Russian.
Irises are also divided by flower size:
- with small flowers,
- with average
- with large
- with very large ones.
There is a classification based on the color of fouls and standards:
- single-color irises (self) - distinguished by the same coloring of all perianth lobes;
- two-tone (bitone) - have two shades of the same color, one of which is painted in the upper lobes, the other in the lower lobes;
- bicolor – carry two different colors.
Among the latter, the following groups are distinguished:
- amena (amoena) – with white upper petals;
- variegate - with yellow upper and dark red lower parts;
- plicata (plicata) - with anthocyanin (from pink-lilac to dark purple) patterns on the light surface of the perianth lobes;
- luminata - with an uncolored part around the beard on the anthocyanin background of the lobes;
- plicata-luminata or fancy-plicata (plicata + luminata) – a combination of plicata and luminata indicators;
- glaciate – pastel shades with the absence of anthocyanin elements;
- iridescent (blend) – with smooth transitions from one color to another;
- reversible - standards darker than foul;
- with “broken” color (brokencolours) – with splashes of contrasting color on a plain background.
Breeding bearded iris
Thanks to people's love for this wonderful perennial, over a hundred new varieties are born every year. The most vibrant group, and also the most popular, are the Tall Bearded Irises. The variety of shapes of their flowers and the combination of colors is simply amazing. But, despite this, breeders continue to work, surprising the world with new wonderful achievements.
How to develop a new variety?
Even a novice amateur gardener can develop a new variety of bearded iris. This requires a little patience, some knowledge and determination.
The first place to start your selection work is to study the structure of the flower.
Structure of the bearded iris flower. 1 - inner (upper) petals (perianth lobes), standards; 2 - supra-narcular ridge; 3 - stigma; 4 — boot; 5 - beard; 6 - outer (lower) petals (perianth lobes), fouls; 7 - ovary; 8 - a piece of wrapper. © flowers-earth Perianth lobes are the name given to the “petals” of the iris flower. Among them, there are external lobes - fouls (lower petals) and internal lobes - standards (upper petals). The beard is a strip of richly colored bristles running along the top of the hair. Pistil - has three lobes and a supra-styllicular ridge. Stamens are hidden under the standards and pistil.
Crossbreeding
If everything is clear with the structure of the flower, you can start crossing.
Step 1 - preparation
First of all, you need to decide what you will cross. Using a label, mark the mother plant (which will be pollinated) and the father plant (from which pollen will be taken). (It is better to place the label with the marking under the ovary so that it does not get lost after the flower withers.)
Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, it is almost impossible to predict the result in advance, but in any case, for crossing it is necessary to take the best specimens with pronounced traits of interest.
In general, the breeder should be interested in the shape of the flower, its color, the number of buds, the timing and duration of flowering, the nature of branching, and the growing power of the variety. An amateur is usually quite interested in the very fact of crossing, and therefore you can start with something simple - try to get a variety of colors of fouls and standards, or mix tall and dwarf hybrids in order to obtain a transitional or connecting medium-sized form.
If breeding work is planned to continue, then it is better to immediately start a separate notebook and record in it a list of crosses and seedlings selected for further experiments, assigning them numbers and letter designations, taking into account the year of crossing, pair number, seedling number.
Iris ‘Little Annie’. © C&J Design Step 2 - pollination
In the morning, when the plants have already dried, or in the evening, in dry, windless weather, you must carefully cut off the anther from the paternal iris with scissors. Using a brush, carefully transfer the pollen to the open stigma of the mother flower.
A few important points:
The mother flower is ready for pollination already at the end of the first day of flowering, when its stigma bends (opens). First, the anthers ripen in the opened flower, and only then, after 16 or even 20 hours, the pollen.
When the day is too hot, the stigma dries out and cannot accept pollen. Therefore, it is recommended to carry out pollination at the beginning or end of the day, but taking into account the fact that there will be no rain in the next two hours.
The most viable pollen is considered to be collected on the first day of flowering.
If the iris perianth lobes are corrugated, standards and fouls can be torn off from them for easy access to the stigma.
The follicles and anthers are also torn off in order to protect the flower from pollination by insects.
To increase the percentage of bolls set, it is better to pollinate three stigmas rather than one.
If pollination has occurred, the box will begin to grow; if not, the flower will fade and fall off.
In the event that the mother plant is for some reason not ready for pollination or is not close to the paternal plant, the anther can be saved until the right time. glass container, at room temperature. But it can be stored for no more than eight days.
Marcie Sullivan Dietrich Step 3 – seed maturation
Next, you need to wait for the pods to ripen (about two months). They should turn yellow-green. But you shouldn’t keep them on the plant for too long, because if the boxes burst, the seeds will scatter. In addition, it was noticed that seeds collected from unripe capsules germinate better.
One box can contain from one to 60 seeds, if these are tall bearded irises, and dwarf varieties- and over 100. At first they have a smooth surface and a honey-brown tint, but as they dry, they wrinkle and shrink by half
Step 4 - sowing seeds
Seed material can be sown either immediately after harvesting or before winter. It is good to sow according to a 10 X 10 cm pattern, burying the seeds to a depth equal to approximately three of their diameters, but not deeper than 1.5 cm.
If the number of seeds is large, it is more convenient to divide the area into four-row beds with a distance between rows of 30 cm and between seedlings of 20–25 cm. The soil for seedlings should be water- and breathable, not acidic.
In unfavorable weather conditions, irises can also be grown through seedlings. In this case, the dried seeds should be placed in labeled bags and stored until February. In February, sow them in bowls in pre-disinfected soil. To retain moisture, you can place a small amount of hydrogel on the bottom of the pots.
To stimulate the seeds to germinate, you need to keep them in the cold for some time. To do this, cover the container with the seedlings with film and send it to a cool place for one and a half to two months, with a temperature of about +2...5°C, for example, in a refrigerator. Then they place it on a warm, well-lit windowsill, or even better, in a mini-greenhouse and wait for shoots. When it warms up, seedlings are planted outside.
Important rule
In order for the seeds to germinate successfully, the soil in the pots or garden beds must always be moist. Drying out even for one day greatly stops the process of seed germination. But even if all the conditions are met, you will have to wait at least eight weeks for seedlings, with the exception of the seeds of plicata hybrids, which begin to awaken already in the seventh week after sowing. And the germination process itself is extremely uneven, so you need to be patient.
chrissyboy Step 5 - flowering
The last stage is flowering. But it will have to wait. Fully developing plants They begin to bloom only in the second or third year.
But even when the plants bloom is not yet an indicator. It is necessary to give irises at least two years of flowering, since only in the second or third year of flowering will it be possible to say whether the result obtained is something interesting or not.
Step 6 - registration
If the resulting cultivar is unique, it can be registered! This must be done through the Russian Iris Society (ROI). But when filling out an application, you will have to fill out a special form in which to note various aspects relating to the new variety, so it is better to print the application form in advance, even before flowering, and fill it out gradually, and not from memory.
Iris ‘Abbey Chant’. © Metcalfe Plants IN different countries festivals are held annually international competitions and exhibitions of bearded iris. The oldest of them is the competition held in Florence, called “Concorso Internazionale dell’Iris”, dating back to 1957.
Australia, America and Great Britain each season award the most interesting new variety of bearded iris in its class a special award - Dykes Memorial Medal, which in Russian sounds like “Dykes Medal”. The presentation has continued since 1927.
The largest number of varieties of bearded iris were bred in the United States of America (the USA accounts for over half of the registered cultivars), in second place in terms of activity breeding work Russia comes in, followed by Austria and France.
There are more than 30,000 varieties of bearded iris in the world, but none of them have completely black, bright red or pure green petals.
One of the latest achievements of breeders are bearded irises of the so-called “space” group (SA - Space Agers). Their difference lies in non-standard form beard, expressed by a peculiar outgrowth in the form of a petal - petaloid (flounce), spoon (spoon) or horn (horn).
Iris is a flower that personifies one of the the most beautiful phenomena nature, is affectionately called “kasatik” by the Russian people. This proud flower, directed towards the sun, shining, shimmering with all colors, attracts with its inexplicable intimacy, reverent tenderness and fragility.This is a miracle of nature inspires all lovers of beauty. The beauty of irises attracts artists, composers dedicate operas and romances to it, and poets dedicate poems to it.
Features of the iris, morphological and biological
Iris belongs to the iris family (Iridaceae juss). About 200 species of iris grow on the globe, widespread in Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America. These are plants of different habitats: mountains and meadows, steppes and swamps, deserts and river banks. They have fan-shaped tufts of leaves and strong peduncles with 1-10 flowers.Irises are perennial herbaceous rhizomatous plants. Those of them that have a bulb are now separated into separate genera. They have already become Junos, Xyphiums, Irido-dictiums, Gynandriris.
Structure of an iris flower
Simple iris flower, has internal and external perianth lobes, called “petals” by flower growers (Fig. 1).Three outer lobes are bent downwards or located horizontally and are called falls in foreign literature (from the English falls - “waterfall”), the three inner ones are raised upward, bent towards the center of the flower and are called standards (from the English standards - “banners, flags”).
This the arrangement of the perianth lobes makes the flower unusual and easily visible to insects. The perianth lobes consist of a marigold (narrow part) and a plate (widened part).
Records varied in size, shape and color. The perianth lobes grow together at the base and form a tube. The bottom of the flower is covered with involucre leaves. The outer petals play a major role in opening and closing the flower and serve as a “landing platform” for insects.
In hybrid bearded irises on the outer lobes there are multicellular hairs - a beard, which decorates the flower and serves to attract insects. Both the outer and inner lobes of the perianth perform signaling functions.
In some species iris (marsh iris, common iris), the internal lobes are reduced. The pistil consists of three petal-shaped lobes of the style, a three-lobed stigma and supra-stigial ridges. The latter protect the stigma blades from rain. The stamens have three filaments in the lower part fused with the perianth tube
According to the shape of the flower The iris rivals the orchids themselves. Elastic petals, corrugation, folds, and horizontal lower lobes of the perianth determine its luxurious shape. In the most modern varieties, the edges of the lobes are decorated with many small bubbly swellings, creating a lace effect.
Separation of iris by flower color
The very name “iris” speaks of the richness of colors., inherent in its flowers: from white, blue, purple to almost black, from cream and yellow to orange; from soft pink to red and brown. Often contrasting tones are combined in one flower or merge into complex overflows different shades, which are difficult to name.Based on the color of the flower, varieties are divided into:
They use formulas and diagrams that give a visual representation of its structure.
Flower formula- This symbol structure of a flower using letters, numbers and signs.
When drawing up the formula, use the following notation:
Ca- calyx ( Calyx);
Co- corolla ( Corolla);
R- simple perianth ( Perigonium);
A- androecium, a collection of stamens ( Androeceum);
G- gynoecium, a collection of pistils ( Gynoeceum);
* - actinomorphic flower;
Zygomorphic flower;
? - bisexual flower (usually it is omitted in the formula);
? - female (pistillate) flower;
? - male (staminate) flower;
() - brackets mean the fusion of flower parts;
Plus indicates the arrangement of flower parts in two or more circles (for example, R 3+3 - simple perianth, of 6 leaflets arranged in two circles) or the fact that the parts separated by this sign differ from each other ( A 1+(9) - androecium consists of one free and nine fused stamens);
Ca 5- the number next to the symbol indicates the number of members of this part of the flower ( Sa 5 - calyx of 5 free sepals);
∞ - if the number of members of a given part of the flower is more than 12, then their number is indicated by an infinity sign (for example, A ∞- the number of stamens is more than 12).
The formulas also note ovary type by location on the receptacle (upper, lower, middle):
G 1- a line above the number means that the ovary is inferior;
G 1- line under the number - superior ovary;
G 1--- a line from the number - the ovary is semi-inferior.
Examples of flower formulas are given below.
* ? Sa 4 Co 4 A 2+4 G(2) - formula of the cabbage flower: actinomorphic, bisexual; double perianth, in which the calyx consists of 4 free sepals, the corolla - of 4 free petals; androecium has 4 long and 2 short stamens (quadruple androecium); The gynoecium is simple, coenocarpous, formed by 2 carpels (1 pistil - from 2 carpels), the ovary is superior.
? Sa (5) Co (2+3) A 2+2 G(2) - formula of the white claret flower: zygomorphic, bisexual; double perianth, in which the calyx consists of 5 fused sepals, and the corolla - of 5 fused petals (2 petals form the upper lip, and the other 3 petals form the lower lip); the androecium is formed by 4 free stamens, of which 2 are long and 2 are short (double androecium); The gynoecium is simple, coenocarpous, formed by 2 carpels (1 pistil - from 2 carpels), the ovary is superior.
* ? R 3+3 A 3+3 G(3) - lily flower formula: actinomorphic, bisexual; a simple perianth consists of 6 leaflets, which are arranged 3 in 2 circles (simple corolla-shaped perianth); androecium consists of 6 free stamens, arranged 3 in 2 circles; The gynoecium is simple, coenocarpous, formed by 3 carpels (1 pistil - from 3 carpels), the ovary is superior.
? Sa (5) Co 1+2+(2) A (9)+1 G 1 - pea flower formula: zygomorphic, bisexual; double perianth, in which the calyx consists of 5 fused sepals, the petals have different shape and size: one large petal - a sail, two free side ones - oars (wings) and two fused ones - a boat (moth-type corolla); the androecium consists of 10 stamens, of which 9 are fused into a tube and 1 is free - bifraternal androecium; The gynoecium is simple, monocarpous (1 pistil is formed by 1 carpel), the ovary is superior.
Flower diagram more clear than the formula. It represents a conventional schematic projection of the parts of a flower onto a plane and reflects their number, relative sizes and relative position, as well as the presence of accretion (Fig. 16, 17).
The diagram indicates the location of the covering (bract) leaf, bracts and the axis of the inflorescence or shoot bearing the flower. The bract, bracts and sepals are depicted in brackets with a keel (curly brackets) of various sizes, the petals - in round brackets, the stamens - in the form of a section through the anther or in the form of a shaded ellipse, the gynoecium - also in the form of a section through the ovary with the placentation site and ovules drawn through which the cut has passed.
The diagram is designed so that the covering leaf is at the bottom, the axis of the inflorescence is at the top, and between them, parts of the flower are located in circles with conventional signs. When the parts of a flower grow together in the diagram conventional signs connected to each other by a line.
Rice. 16. Constructing a flower diagram:
1 - inflorescence axis;
2 - bract;
3 - sepal;
4 - petal;
5 - stamen;
6 - gynoecium;
7 - covering sheet.
Rice. 17. Flower diagrams:
A- magnolia (acyclic flower); B- red currant; IN- black mustard; G- white jasmine; D- common bean; E- a typical flower of cereals; 1 , 5 - calyx; 2 - whisk; 3 , 8 - stamens; 4 , 9 - gynoecium; 6 - lower lip of 3 petals; 7 - upper lip of 2 petals; 10 - sail; 11 - oars; 12 - boat; 13 - difraternal androecium; 14 - lower flower scales; 15 - upper flower scales; 16 - lodicules
