William Rickatson Dykes,THE BEARDED IRISES.

       THE GARDEN.
September 15, 1923

THE BEARDED IRISES
W. R. DYKES, M.A., L.-ès-L.

SOME weeks ago there appeared in these columns an article on Bearded Iris species, which summed up what was known of them about thirty years ago, at the time when Baker compiled his Handbook of the Irideæ The so-called species were described in the order in which they appeared in Baker's book, and in many cases the wording of the descriptions was identical.
Since 1892, however, much research work has been carried out, and our knowledge of the wild species of Iris and of natural and garden hybrids between them has grown very considerably. This growth has been made possible by the examination of the very numerous dried specimens of wild plants which are preserved in the various herbarium collections and by the cultivation of living plants from known localities. Thus we now know the difference between I. pumila and I. Chamæiris. The former has practically no stem and a long perianth tube between the ovary and the flower, while the latter has a stem which is at any rate always longer than the tube.

Colour alone is no guide to specific difference, and both these species may have either yellow or purple flowers. The curious thing is that in some localities there is apparently very little colour variation, while in others every plant seems to be different.
Thus I. Chamaeiris on Mount Coudon behind Toulon is all yellow or yellow flushed with brown, while at Roque-haute on the coast of Herault there is every variation. I. pumila in the Deliblat in Hungary is always purple, while on the Geissberg outside Vienna and on the Dalmatian coast near Zara and Sebenico there is infinite variety.

Many of the plants sold as pumila are in reality Chamæiris, but no one who has once seen the ripe seed-pods of I. pumila will ever again confuse the two species. The capsules are literally on the ground, broad at the base and tapering to a conical point to which is still attached the long, withered perianth tube and the remains of the flower. The ripe capsule splits open, not from the apex, as in I. Chamæiris, but below the apex, as in I. arenaria and in the species of the Regelia group.

I. Chamæiris is found only in South-Eastern France and in Northern Italy I. pumila in Austria and Hungary, Croatia, Greece and Southern Russia.

In Sicily there is a rather delicate species like a large I. Chamæiris, but with the long tube of I. pumila. It looks not unlike a natural hybrid between the two species, but it can hardly be so, because artificial hybrids between them are quite sterile and differ in some slight but well marked details. 
For some unknown reason Balkan Irises have sharply keeled spathes — the green or membranous sheaths in which the buds are contained. There are, in fact, quite a number of Balkan species with keeled spathes, which have counterparts in Western or Central Europe, in which the spathes are either shapeless or merely rounded. Thus I. spuria and I. graminea correspond to I. Sintenisii and I. Urumovii. In the same way the Balkan I. mellita and I. Reichenbachii correspond to I.pumila and I. Chamaeiris. Of both there are yellow and purple forms, which have been described as distinct species. Thus serbica and bosniaca are merely yellow forms of I. Reichenbachii, while balkana and Athoa are purple. I. mellita is dwarf like pumila, but has sharply keeled spathes and is the species of which one variety from Skutari, opposite Constantinople, is in cultivation under the name of rubromarginata. I. Reichenbachii has a stem from 3ins. to 9ins. in height and a comparatively short tube. I. mellita has a long tube and is nearly always stemless.

These four species, pumila and Chamæiris in the west and mellita and Reichenbachii in the Balkans, are never more than a foot in height, and the only other species which are certainly natives of Central Europe seem to be I. aphylla, I. variegata and I. pallida, of all of which there are many local varieties. All those who have grown them know how readily and persistently they all set seeds, while it is comparatively rare to see a pod on any so-called germanica, lurida, flavescens or sambucina, and rarer still to find more than one or two seeds in them.
I. aphylla, as its name implies, loses its leaves entirely in autumn ; so, too, do I. variegata and I. pallida to a very large extent. This is only what we should expect of plants which are natives of countries like Central Europe with a rigorous winter climate.
I. aphylla has a host of synonyms, such as biflora, bisflorens, bohemica, hungarica, furcata, etc., some alluding to its habit of flowering a second time in the early autumn, some to the branching habit of the stem, which forks characteristically below the centre, and others to the various localities in which it is found. It is characteristic, also, of I. aphylla to have spathes of thin membranous texture either wholly green or more or less flushed with purple. The colour of the flowers is usually a deep purple, though both yellow and almost white forms are not unknown.
I. variegata comes from Hungary, Croatia and the Balkans, and is the source of the yellow colour in our garden Bearded Irises. In the wild plant the standards are yellow and the falls more or less closely veined with some shade of brownish purple on a yellow or creamy ground. The spathes are green and remain persistently so, even when the flowers are fully developed.
In I. pallida, on the other hand, they are always wholly scarious or papery, even long before the buds emerge from them. It is interesting to remember that all such plants as sambucina, squalens, lurida and even germanica have spathes which are scarious in the upper part and green or herbaceous in the lower part, an indication that they are hybrids which owe their origin to a cross between a species with herbaceous spathes and a species with scarious spathes.
Another fact, which appears only to have come to light in the last ten or fifteen years, is that in the only two localities where I. variegata and I. pallida are both known to grow wild, namely, near Bozen in the Tyrol and on the Velebit Mountains above Carlopago on the Croatian coast, natural hybrids also occur identical with those to which such names as squalens and sambucina have been given. In such hybrids it is easy to see the struggle for mastery of the purple of pallida and the yellow of variegata. Moreover, it is quite easy to raise these hybrids in our gardens by crossing the two species.
I. germanica is frankly a puzzle. All we know for certain is that it has never been found undoubtedly wild anywhere. Moreover, it is extremely reluctant to set seed under any conditions, and it has a habit of making its new growth in the autumn, which would mean that its foliage would suffer in a continental winter and the plants remain flowerless, as they not uncommonly do even in this country in a season of late frosts and in exposed situations.
Again, there is not one germanica but several. The common form in this country is bluer than those we find in Southern France. The variety Kharput was sent to Foster from the town of that name in Northern Asia Minor and is naturalised near Srinagar in Kashmir, while atropurpurea grows in masses at Beaucaire, opposite Tarascon on the Rhone, and at many other places in the South. Moreover, it was found growing abundantly at Khatmandu in Nepal a hundred years ago! Three years ago I found an Iris growing high up on the rocks between the two arms of Lake Como, in a position where I felt sure it must be wild and not an escape from cultivation. When the plants, which I brought home, flowered they proved to be Kochii, but, unfortunately, they will not set seed, as we should expect them to do if Kochii were a wild species. No form of germanica has been known to reproduce itself from seed. The few seedlings that have been raised are all dwarf plants, resembling I. aphylla more than any other species.
Another puzzle about germanica is that each purple form seems to have a corresponding albino form. The so-called germanica alba is one, another even whiter was found growing by the roadside in Istria, while the well known florentina is another. This is the albino of a slender form of germanica which is used along with pallida in the manufacture of orris root near Florence. Streaks or patches of purple not infrequently occur in flowers of florentina and also in the other albino forms of germanica.
Florentina has nothing whatever to do with I. albicans, which is the albino of the Arabian I. Madonna. I. albicans and I. Madonna can easily be picked out of a collection in winter by their curiously twisted leaves and by the fact that the tips are always browned by the frost. Albicans has been transported all over the world as an ornament for Mohammedan graveyards, while Madonna was only discovered in, and introduced from, South-Eastern Arabia less than twenty years ago.
I. pallida has many local forms. Near Bozen it is a sturdy plant 3ft. high with a stiff stem and very glaucous leaves. In Dalmatia it is much more slender, with either green or glaucous leaves and flowers of every conceivable shade of purple, using that unsatisfactory word in its very widest sense. Ciengialti and Loppio are only two forms among a vast number to be found on the eastern coast of the Adriatic, and the so-called pallida dalmatica is almost certainly of hybrid garden origin and not a native of Dalmatia. It is much nearer to the Bozen form than to anything that grows in Dalmatia. Moreover, it very rarely sets seed and, when it does, gives a long series of variations.
Another old garden plant, flavescens, is similarly almost certainly of hybrid origin. It seldom sets seed and is quite distinct from I. imbricata, with which it has been confused. The latter is a plant from the south-western shores of the Caspian, and was once grown at Kew under the name of obtusifolia. The flowers are of a curious greenish yellow, sometimes streaked with purple, and the spathes are very large, green and inflated. In cultivation a purple-flowered form of it has appeared. Neither flavescens nor imbricata are found growing wild in the Balkans.
I. kashmiriana is a difficult plant to flower in this country. It wants a thorough roasting in summer, and has a purple counterpart, which seldom finds its way beyond the borders of Kashmir. The white form is used for decorative purposes by the natives, as is also albicans, and the purple form is as neglected as I. Madonna.
The so-called plicata can hardly be a wild species. It does not come true from seed, and it is not known to occur in the wild state anywhere. It seems rather to be a seedling or hybrid of I. pallida and is, in fact, a pallida in which there is some factor which prevents the purple colour from spreading all over the segments of the flower. The colour is confined to the veins and usually to the extremities of the veins near the circumference of the petals.
In Asia Minor and in the hill country to the north of Mesopotamia there are undoubtedly several little-known or unknown species of Bearded Iris. Specimens have occasionally been in cultivation, but never apparently for very long, nor has anyone tested their validity as species by raising them from seed. Moreover, the specimens seem always to have come from inhabited areas and not from regions in which it was obvious that they were wild plants. Probably, now that we are once more at peace with Turkey, it will be possible to obtain further specimens and to decide how many species there are.
At present the claims of I. trojana to specific rank seem undeniable. It has a tall branching stem, long, narrow pointed buds and comparatively narrow foliage. It is supposed to have reached the Vienna Botanic Garden from the neighbourhood of Troy, but it is obvious that a plant from such a locality might not necessarily have been a native of it if, as now seems probable, Irises were in cultivation as garden plants when Minos reigned at Cnossus in Crete about 1600 B.C. However, I. trojana seeds readily and reproduces itself with those slight variations in the tone of colour in the flower which we expect to find when raising a species from seed. It is probably to I. trojana that we owe the tall, branching habit of many of the newer hybrids. W.R.D.

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Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©. 

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French Historic Tall Bearded Iris, INNOCENZA.

The American Iris Society published a Discard List in 1931 and included amongst the 141 Lémon varieties listed for discard was today's featured iris 'Innocenza'. 
I still find this list to be at the time an incredulous level of arrogance by some within the iris world. Amazingly short sighted to suggest the discard of irises that were mainly British or European bred, listed on 22 pages with an average of 70 irises per page (approx. 1500 irises). The legendry breeder William Caparne when campaigning vigorously against the discard list wrote "It is a narrowing down of the idea of things beautiful instead of expanding it".

Bertrand H. Farr, Wyomissing Pennsylvania. Farr's Catalogue of Hardy Plants Specialities, 1910.
Iris Germanica-Variegata Section.
INNOCENZA. S. and F. ivory white, crest rich golden, a very delicate and beautiful flower, 26 in. 25c.

G. G. Whitelegg & Co, Chislehurst, Kent,Catalogue of Irises 1921
June Flowering Irises, General Collection.
Innocenza. Pure white, with slight reticulations at the throat. A most useful variety.

Les Iris Cultivés,  1922.
choix de 100 variétés
39. Innoncenza (Lémon 1854). Blanc presque pur.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January 1923, Number 7.
Descriptions of Varieties, Part II.
INNOCENZA 71 (21)
Self, W.                Lemon, 1854
Brief. White. S. cupped; F. drooping; stalk low and well-branched;
growth moderate to vigorous; 30 in.
Details. Haft finely reticulated blackish purple to burnt lake; beard
conspicuous white, orange tip.

Cayeux & Le Clerc, Quai de la Mègisserie, 8, Paris. Catalog 1925.
Innocence (Lémon 1854) Pure white, with slight reticulations at the throat, yellow beard.

Vilmorin Andrieux & Cie, 4 Quai de la Mégisserie, Paris (1er), Plantes 1925.
Iris Vivaces Hybrids, Série Générale.
Innocenza. Tardif. Fleurs blanc pur avec chenille jaune, à divisions infèrieures lègèrement striées brun à la base.

Cornell Extension Bulletin 112, Austin W. Sand, 1925.
Innocenza. (Lémon 1854) Color effect a white self. Standards white with brown and purple reticulations on the claw. Falls clear white, inconspicuously veined purple on the haft.
The dense beard is conspicuously orange tipped. Innocenza ia a moderately vigorous grower, with a medium, yellow green foliage. The low branching flowering stalks are freely produced, and carry flowers of a good substance till late in the season. Its clear color and showy, golden beard make it one of the best ten, a good cut flower and excellent for mass effect. It is one of the older sorts, not fully appreciated when rated at 71.

Courtesy U S Department of Agriculture Farmers Bulletin 1406

U S Department of Agriculture Farmers Bulletin 1406, January 1926.
Garden Irises B. Y. Morrison
Beginning with the white varieties, there is a group in which are included the truly white ones, as, for example, Iris albicans (fig. 22) ; those which are white with some colored reticulations in the throat, as in Innocenza (fig. 23) or Mrs. Horace Darwin; those of white faintly washed or tinted with color, but still counting for white in garden effect, as in Iris florentina (fig. 24), and perhaps as in Pancroft, which may be taken as the/other extreme of tinting;

E.Turbat & Cie , Route d'Olivet 67, Orleans, France.
Automne 1930 Printemps 1931 (variétés nouvelles ou rares)
Innocence (Innocenza). Blanc pur avec chenille blanche légèrement strié brun à la base. Tardif.

  AIS Checklist 1939
INNOCENZA TB-M-WW (Lémon 1854) Van Houtte 1854; Garden Chronicle 1894, Van Tubergen 1900; Farr, 1912; Wing 1920; Buccleuch Nursuries,1938; AAA Journal Royal Horticultural Society; Highly Commended Royal Horticultural Society 1903; Commended Royal Horticultural Society 1917; Journal Royal Horticultural Society 1918; Horticultural Directory and Year Book, 1918;

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
 Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Nathalie Faivre for her amazing photo's, and Parc Floral de Paris for the use of the photo's, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, catalogue listings, and my sincere thanks for her tireless pursuit with the preservation of French Historic Irises, we are all truly grateful.

Reproduction in whole or in part of these photo's without the expressed written permission of Parc Floral is strictly prohibited.
Photo credits and copyright Nathalie Faivre and Parc Floral de Paris © .

Reproduction in whole or in part of this post, its opinions or its images without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited. Copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©

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Tall Bearded Iris WINTER OLYMPICS

Winter Olympics is an iris of excellent quality, an absolute classic, and a much deserved multi award winner. A very clean healthy grower with great clump forming vigour. Plenty of blooms held on strong stems that can withstand most weather conditions. A tough but beautiful Iris with great attributes  making a great  Iris for beginners. It is also very fertile both ways and sets pods easily.  Many irisarians and home gardeners are happy to have just one white iris but you can't lump me in with that crowd. I've said it before and I'll say it again, all gardens can never have enough 'White Irises', they give a balance that is unbeatable and after all nothing clashes with white.
Photo taken in the morning mist. The tiny water droplets in the mist make the light scatter which greatly softens the background giving a painted on canvas texture look. I quite like it!

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January, 1963. Number 168.
Northwest Impressions, Joseph Gatty.
Prior to meeting Tom and Opal I had heard nothing but good reports of their white seedling out of  POET'S DREAM X ELEANOR'S PRIDE. I was not disappointed. WINTER OLYMPICS, as this seedling is now called, and ready for introduction in '63, is a white-white that lacks nothing in perfection of form, substance or branching. A good fifty-foot row of this variety displayed remarkable non-variation in number of branches per stalk, buds, and plant vigor. However, it is the flower of WINTER OLYMPICS that remains with one long after viewing it-that large but graceful white flower that has lost none of the grace that too often disappears with size; its ruffled elegance coupled with substance that indicates it was bred to withstand the elements.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, July, 1963. Number 170.
Iris Trek, 1963 Robert S. Carney. Observations of Irises irises which were performing nicely in the gardens visited before the convention in Denver, 1963.
WINTER OLYMPICS (O. Brown). An outstanding new white self with matching beard. Good form and beautifully branched. Said to be a good increaser.
William T. Bledsoe, Fayetteville, Tennessee
WINTER OLYMPICS, by Opal Brown, and WHITE PRIDE, by Dr. Branch. Both are very fine white selfs, and I compared them on four separate days to try to choose between them, so I have placed them in a tie on my
personal score. WINTER OLYMPICS has classic branching, four branches and a terminal. WHITE PRIDE has three branches and the terminal, but it seems to me to be ruffled in a slightly more appealing manner. Both are terrific.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, July, 1963. Number 170.
They liked these in the Tour Gardens, Roy Oliphant, Berkeley, California
WINTER OLYMPICS (Opal Brown). This lovely ruffled white with a hint of cream and green, will hold up its head (or should I say heads-for it made an outstanding clump) in any company.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, July 1964, Number 174.
Reports From Region 15-Southern California. WHITES. Mrs. Archie Owen.
WINTER OLYMPICS (Opal Brown '63). Flowers large, pure white with a white beard. The standards are ruffled and the falls heavily ruffled. Stalk sturdy and well branched. A beautiful iris especially when you see three
flowers at one time on a well-branched stalk.

Cooleys Gardens, Silverton, Oregon. Iris Catalog 1965. 
WINTER OLYMPICS (O. Brown, '63) Each $22.50
Domed standards and extra wide falls with elegant ruffling are features of this sensational new white Iris. It was the leader in the "Judges' Choice" in 1964 and was likewise first among those which won the HM Award of the AIS last year. Will be hard to beat!

Region 14 Northern California, Nevada, Regional Bulletin, Fall 1966.
1966-An Iris Season in Review, Joe Ghio.
Another bloom season has come and gone. Without a doubt this was the finest iris season we have ever experienced in Santa Cruz.the growth was fantastic; the height and size of the blooms was unbelievable. The weather cooperated as never before. Generally, the days were rainless,windless, and mild. The first tall beardeds opened early in April and a few blooms were still around at the end of May. If only every year could be like this one! Wow!
WHITES; this was the year of WINTER OLYMPICS (O. Brown, '63). Planted here and there throughout our gardens, this tremendous Iris never failed to put on a fantastic show. Tall, well branched with fabulously formed flowers of pure white. An Iris which has everything one could wish. How can it fail to get the Dykes when it is eligible?

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1970,"The newer American Introductions ", page 63, R.A.Wise.
Winter Olympics (O. Brown, 1963). This new white self is highly rated in America and was the Dykes medal winner in 1967. The individual flowers are heavily ruffled with domed standards and extrawide semi-flaring falls. The stems are well branched and the bud count it is very high so that there is a tendency for rather too many flowers to be out at once, thus spoiling the appearance of the spike. The plant is a strong grower in this garden and contrary to some reports does not appear to be rot prone.

Browns Sunnyhill Gardens, Milton Freewater, Oregon. 1972 Iris.
WINTER OLYMPICS (O. Brown, '63) Beautiful white self including beard. Domed standards are ruffled and firmly held.Extra wide falls are intensely ruffled and gracefully arched. Large flowers of heavy substance. Near perfect branching. Fertile both ways. A M '66, Rees Award '66, Dykes Medal '67.

AIS Checklist 1969.
WINTER OLYMPICS    (Opal Brown, R. 1961). Sdlg. 9-5A7. TB 37" E-M. WlW.    White self; white beard. Poet's Dream X Eleanor's Pride., Brown's Sunnyhill Gardens 1963. HC 1961, HM 1964, AM 1966, JC 1964, 1965, Clara Rees Cup 1966, Nelson Award 1969, Dykes Medal 1967.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this post, its opinions or its images without the expressed written permission of Terry Johnson is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Terry Johnson and Heritage Irises ©.

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French Historic Tall Bearded Iris JACQUESIANA

In 1839 Jean-Nicolas Lémon had published in the Annales de Flore et de Pomone a list of one hundred varieties which were mostly irises he had raised and named, 'Jacquesiana' was included in this list. Then once again in the Annales de Flore et de Pomone ou Journal des Jardin in 1841 Lémon had another article published in which he featured five of his new introductions in more detail and these varieties accompanied by a beautiful colour plate. These irises were Iris de Boismilon, Iris Madame Rousselon, Iris Madame Lémon, Iris Jacquesiana and Iris Conqueror. Lémon named 'Jacquesiana' in honour of Henri Antoine Jacques the head gardener of the Royal Neuilly Domain.

The photos of the iris 'Jacquesiana' in this post graphically display the stigma of a canary yellow colour cut longitudinally by a dark brown band, which is just how Lémon described it, and this along with the veining on the falls and the length of the beard are displayed well. The style arms protrude well past the standards that finish with strong upturning crests is also a recurring feature of early French Dipliod breeding. All these distictive features are also displayed well in the colour plate illustration.  

Annales de Flore 1839-1840, nouvelles variétés d'iris. Descriptions Jean-Nicolas Lémon
3e SÈRIE. Plantes s'élevant de 70 centimètres à 1 mètre.
Iris Jacquesiana. fond bleu azuré très tendre, pétales extérieurs pourprés brun velouté.
  

Jacquesiana

Annales de Flore et de Pomone.

July 1842

Annales de Flore et de Pomone ou Journal des Jardins
Et des champs 1841-1842 IRIS NOUVELLES.
Pour donner autant que possible une idée de la collection objet de l’article ci-dessus, j’ai fait figurer cinq iris pris dans son sein (voir planche)

4. Iris Jacquesiana. Fleur bien faite, pétales intérieurs érigés, ondulés d'un jaune serin en dedans depuis l'onglet jusqu'à près de la moitié du limbe, dont l'autre partie est teinte d'une nuance tirant sur le fauve plus ou moins foncé ; l'onglet est verdâtre, pointillé et strié en dedans de marron brun; les pétales extérieurs sont allongés, ou peu ondulés sur les bords, teints d'une couleur pensée au sommet, ensuite blancs au centre et jaunes au bord, et striés sur ces deux dernières nuances de pourpre violet; l'onglet est vert jaunâtre en dehors, les barbes sont d'un jaune orange, et les stigmates d'un jaune serin coupé longitudinalement par une bande marron foncé. Jean-Nicolas Lémon.

The Gardeners Chronicle, 'Foreign Correspondence Paris, 31st May, 1841'.
Jacquesiana, bronze lilac and brown crimson.

'The Garden', May 27, 1876, Handsome Irises, D Thomson.
There is now an almost endless variety of Irises, and for the information of these persons who may desire to form a select collection of them, the following list may be found useful......
Jacquesiana, reddish-bronze, lower petals crimson, reticulated with yellow and white.

The Gardeners Chronicle, 'The German Iris' 15 June, 1878
Mr. Robert Parker's Nursery large collection, Tooting, South London
Jacquesiana, reddish bronze, dark orange, and velvety crimson, very fine and distinct.

Cayeux & Le Clerc, Quai de la Mègisserie, 8, Paris. Catalog (thought to be 1906-1907)
Jacquesiana (Lémon 1840). Sépales cuivrés, largement pointés violet évêque, pétales cuivré clair.

The Times, July 6th, 1907
Irises, W.R.Dykes
While to sambucina we owe the scent of elder-flowers , from which it takes its name, and the gold dust which seems to cover the standards of such flowers as Jacquiniana, when seen in bright sunshine.

The Dean lris Gardens, Moneta, California.The Iris 1914.
SQUALENS GROUP The Standards Are Clouded Shades of Copper, Bronze and Fawn.
Jacquesiana. S. bright coppery crimson; F. rich maroon. Handsome. 30 inches.

Elm-Leigh Nursuries, Putney, Vermont. Season 1921.
Jacquesiana. Standards light coppery red, falls rich distinct and beautiful.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October 1922, Number 6.
Descriptions of Varieties, Part 1.
JACQUESIANA 8.0 (23)
Bicolor, V-R. ,blend. (d). Lémon, 1840
Brief. S. vinaceous lilac;F. flaring, velvety blackish red purple; styles and haft buff; stalk,high and well-branched'; growth vigorous; to 4 ft.
Details. Foliage tinged at base; S. revolute, ruffled, and notched; beard yellow, orange tipped; Pollen cream-white.
Remarks. Listed in England as Jacquiniana. It may be differentiated  from Arnols or Prosper Laugier by the flaring carriage of the falls.

Les Iris Cultivés  1922 (choix de 100 variétés pages 30-31-32)
Jacquesiana (Lémon 1840) Divisions supérieures rouge violacé fumé, divisions inférieures rougeâtre velouté

Cayeux & Le Clerc, Quai de la Mègisserie, 8, Paris. Catalog 1923.
Jacquesiana (Lémon 1840) S. copper-crimson shaded buff. F. wineish violet. Reticulated maroon at the throat.

Treasure Oak Nursery, Mays Landing, New Jersey, Catalog of Select Iris and Peonies, 1923.
The Best and Rarest of the Iris.
8.0 JACQUESIANA. (Lemon 1840. C., RHS.).$0.25 Squalens.
S.-Coppery crimson (Vinaceous Lilac), ruffled and notcbed. F.-Flaring black-red-purple. Leaf.-Base colored.
Resembling Prosper Laugier, though taller and of smaller bloom, and easily distinguished from either Prosper Laugier or Arnols by the flare of its fall. This is the most outstanding Iris in the older plantings and is best shown when in combination with the yellows, as Flavescens, Dawn, Aurea, or Shekinah, or the whites, as Innocenza, Albicans, or others of the type. Adapted to border planting as it appears to a greater advantage when seen close at hand.

A Handbook of Garden Irises, W.R.Dykes, 1924.
Chapter 16 Garden Bearded Irises
Of the older varieties those most likely to survive are...................
Jacquiniana (30ins., Lémon, 1840), with coppery-crimson standards and velvety maroon falls.

Cornell Extension Bulletin 112, 1925.
Bearded Iris A perennial suited to all Gardens. Austin W.W. Sand.
Jacquesiana (Lémon 1840).  Color effect a bright russet-crimson, velvety bordeaux bicolor. S. russet vinaceous, bronzed olive buff on claw. F. velvety bordeaux, netted-viened on broad light outer haft. The bronzed orange beard is fine, dense, and projecting. This plant is a vigorous grower, and has lax, slender, deep green foliage, tinged at the base. Its excellent, velvety blooms are freely produced and well carried on long stems.This exceptional variety should be included in every collection. Rating 80.

Longfield Iris Farm, Bluffton, Indiana. Price List 1926
Jacquesiana ( Lémon 1840). Standards bronzy lilac red; the flaring falls rich purple red. An old variety but still a favorite. Three feet. $0.35

A H Burgess and Son, Iris Specialist, Waikanae, Wellington. Irises 1924-1926.
Jacquesiana; Standards copper crimson; Falls maroon. 2½ft. 

Leamon G. Tingle, Pittsville, Maryland. Tingle's 1927 Catalog of Nursery Stock.
JACQUESIANA (Lemon 1840). An amazing rich coloring and exceedingly beautiful flower. S, coppery rose, deepening to a bronze throat, F, rich velvety crimson-maroon. Golden beard. 25c.

The Orpington Nurseries Co. Ltd., Orpington, Kent. Irises 1930.
Jacquiniana. (Lémon) Copper crimson standards and maroon falls. 2½ feet. A good old Iris. Late.

Rainbow Fragments, A Garden Book of the Iris, J.Marion Shull, 1931.
General list of varieties.
JACQUESIANA (Lémon 1840) Clouded crimson to blackish red purple
Freedom of Bloom......Moderate to free.
Season of Bloom ........Late
Garden Value.............Medium
Flower;
Color Class.................Bicolor
Color effect Ridgway symbols...VR-VL
Size............................Medium
Standards...................Arching
Falls...........................Flaring
Substance...................Good.
Stalk;
Character...................Erect
Height........................Medium-Tall
Buds per stem.............Few
Branching...... ............Medium
Foliage;
Character...................Medium
Leaf Color...................glaucous blue green, based tinged with purple
Growth.......................Vigorous with good increase

AIS Checklist 1929
JACQUESIANA  TB-S9M (Lémon 1840)
A.F.P 1840; Garden Chronicle 1841; Hovey 1860; Elwang 1873; Garden Chronicle 1894; The Garden June 1913; Francis 1920; Wing 1920; Sheets 1928; Class Vlc (1) AAA 145; H.C., R.H.S. 1st June 1893, shown by Wilks, Barr, Veitch; A 87; H.C., R.H.S.,14th June 1916.

Trials of Bearded Iris Royal Horticultural Society, notes  Class Vl c (1) as 'Varieties with standards in which yellow is obvious, purple predominating'.

Over the next few years historic Iris identification will certainly be challenged and some of the varieties in established collections thought 'to be so' may perhaps become 'not to be so'. 

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tip and "Merci beaucoup" to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French language, catalogue listings, and of course for sharing with you all the amazing photos of 'Jacquesiana'.

Reproduction in whole or in part of these photo's without the expressed written permission of Catherine Adam is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Catherine Adam © .
Reproduction in whole or in part of this article without the expressed written permission of Heritage Irises  is strictly prohibited.

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Historic Tall bearded Iris SHAH JEHAN

An exotic looking iris bred in Canada of all places, who would of thought? If ever there was an iris that reinforces the fact that historic irises have a natural yet bold elegance then this iris is it. Makes one think of Persian rugs, Oriental tapestry and palaces, this is an iris that begs the company of other white flowers, to set off it's rich tapestry of colours . Named after that lavish Mughal emperor 'Shah Jahan' famous for building the Taj Mahal, he was also believed to have had a very refined taste in the arts and is credited with having commissioned over 900 gardens in Kashmir. An iris that one could maybe expect to see at Sissinghurst Castle Gardens, or perhaps 'The Manor' at Hemingford Grey.
These irises are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners who appreciate real class. 

A H. Burgess and Son, Iris Specialists, Waikanae, Wellington. 1936 Irises.
SHAH JEHAN- This glorious novelty of rich Oriental colouring was raised in British Columbia, and shown in England last year when it received the Bronze Medal of the Iris Society. The standards are very erect and pointed, and are buff, suffused smoke grey, fading to yellow as the flower ages. The fall are plum red, with an intense reddish-brown flush at the haft; margined lavender-buff. 4ft.; Late.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, October 1936, Number 63.
Iris Notes of 1936, J. Marion Shull.
A couple varieties that stood pretty much alone Over-the-Garden-Wall were Shah Jehan and Williamson's Amigo. The latter is of B. Y. Morrison type but much more intense in color and a better formed flower. It is seen to greatest advantage in shade. Shah Jehan is a very striking thing of the same variegata-derived color group, except that in Amigo all yellow has been left out whereas in Shah Jehan there is enough yellow above to present the strange anomaly of warm-toned standards with falls definitely cool in tone, such as would result from converting a yellow-white bicolor into a typical variegata blend of the falls type of Lodestar or Maori Princess. Beautiful form and exceptionally fine placement accompany the very unusual color scheme. I like it very much in a single stem. How it will wear when grown in mass and seen more frequently can only be left for later judgment.

The Longfield Iris Farm, Bluffton, Indiana. 1936 Catalog.
Shah Jenah (Neel, 1932.) English Bronze Medal (1933). A glorious Iris of rich Oriental coloring. S. buff suffused grey fading to yellow as the flower ages. F. rich plum red with intense reddish brown flush at haft. Margined lavender buff. Very late.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, September 1937, Number 66.
Along the Iris Coast, Julius Dornblut, Jr.
In my own garden Shah Jehan was eagerly awaited as I had read the glowing reports of it in the BULLETINS. It is royally splendid, looks ,veIl even in the rain, but somehow I was disappointed. Perhaps it was too well advertised. Its pinched falls will surely be criticised.

Stevens Bros. Bulls. Catalogue of Irises 1937-1938.
SHAH JEHAN
This glorious variety is truly Oriental in its blending of rich colours. It is too decided in its colour effect to be classed as a "blend," though many colours go to its make-up. It has been called a variegata, but it is so entirely different from all other variegatas, or indeed from all other irises, that it has been well termed sensational. The whole flower is an extravaganza of colour difficult to describe or visualise. The standards are buff, suffused with smoke grey, changing as the flower ages to yellow. The falls are a rich and lustrous velvety purple, with an intense reddish-brown flush at the haft, very distinctly margined lavender-buff. A rich orange beard completes this glorious ensemble. 4ft.....................................................12/6

Cooleys Gardens, Silverton, Oregon. Iris Catalog 1937.
SHAH JEHAN Each $2.00
Said to contain more colors than any other iris in commerce, this serenely beautiful flower in oriental smoky shades almost eludes any attempt to describe it accurately. Standards are creamy buff faintly edged lavender, the falls very rich velvety chestnut merging into purple, thence gradually fading out to a margin that repeats the color in the standards. Beard is very rich orange. A very late variety, tall,of large size.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, September 1937, Number 66.
Impressions of a California Iris Season, Harold I Johnson.
Shah Jehan is a most vivid flower. There is the faintest element of the absurd about it, and I find its colors rather reminding me of Santa Claus and Christmas chimneys. Something so unusual should, however, be treasured. It is a true amoena, as will be markedly shown by comparing it with Mildred Presby.

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1938.Visit to Wisley. 10th June, 1938, G. L Pilkington.
SHAH JEHAN (Neel) was hardly out- it is a late flowerer- but was thick with flower spikes and doing well. This is another iris for richness of colour.

Schreiner's Iris Garden, Riverview Station, St. Paul, Minnesota. 1940 Catalog.
SHAH JEHAN (Neel 1932) L. 38"
This unique new Iris which Schreiner's Iris Gardens have popularized in America has now become one of the dozen of so irises by whose presence the up-to-dateness of an iris collection is judged. In color it is certainly the most sensational of all novelties. Named for that lavish emperor of India who ruled three centuries ago from the famous Peacock Throne, Shah Jehan is itself an extravaganza of color containing no less than seven distinctly different hues. The standards are a delicate creamy-buff faintly edged lavender; the falls are rich and magnificent, quickly blending from a light fawn at the haft to a glowing copper, then to a rich deep chestnut. This in turn changes to a gorgeous tone of lustrous velvety purple- the dominant color of the falls. Imperceptibly this rich purple changes to a softer plum or magenta and this finally to a lavender edge which repeats the margining of the standards. The beard is of the richest orange. The entire effect, for all the extraordinary range of color is subtly harmonious and inveigling. If you have not yet added this outstanding iris to your collection, do not fail to include it this season. 

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1942, Bearded Flag Irises-An Initial Thirty, F.Wynn Hellings.
7. SHAH JEHAN. A glorious Iris. It is not easy to describe the colour scheme, but it may be said that the standards are a smoky-buff which becomes more yellow as the flower ages, while the richly coloured falls are a shade of dark, reddish plum-purple, edged lavender. It has become one of my favourites after a season of doubt while it was establishing itself. Not the least of its attractions is that it comes in late mid-season (third and fourth week of June), and is in fact usually tile last to flower of my 350 varieties (reduced from 500 to make room for vegetables). Extremely rapid increase. Form and proportion excellent. Good stem. Height 3 ft. 9 in.

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1947, Irises for the Beginner, N. Leslie Cave.
SHAH JEHAN (2 Votes) (Neel 1932) Buff standards, red purple falls shaded with a rich brown. Rather late flowering. A satisfactory grower and very distinct. Tall.
Cayeux, La Carcaudière - Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lovers Catalogue, 2014.
SHAH JEHAN (Neel 1932) Tall bearded - Mid-season to late - size:85cm - colour: Amoena
Standards are milky white, whilst light lemon coloured at the base. Falls are crimson red with a fine 2mm wide white border. Bright yellow beards. A graceful amoena with a good finish for the time period.

AIS Checklist 1939
SHAH JEHAN TB-MVLa-S9D (Neel 1932)
(Ambassadeur X  . . . ), HC RHS 1934, AM AIS 1937.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Richard Cayeux is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux © .

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French Historic Tall bearded Iris OCHRACEA-COERULEA

This iris has a confused past with its name which was changed to Sunset because apparently the name 'Ochracea-Coerulea' was considered 'Clumsy'. I covered this issue in the post 'The Iris Re-Christened SUNSET', originally published in 'The Garden' in 1922. As you can see below Lee Bonnewitz discription of the iris in his 1926 catalogue was also confusing. 
Ochracea-Coerulea is without doubt a stylish iris that one could expect to see at Giverny, the Gardens of Claude Monet or possibly it is in the Iris collection at Sissinghurst Castle Gardens. These irises are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners who appreciate real class. The amazing photo taken by Nathalie Faivre in the Gardens at Parc Floral de Paris.

The Garden, June 17, 1922.
New and Rare Plants.
Iris ochracea-coerulea. A very delightful Iris. The standards are copper coloured and the falls have brown reticulations with a yellow base. The blade is bluish, shading to copper. Award of Merit. This variety was raised by Mr. Denis of Balaruc-les-Bains and shown by Mr. W. R. Dykes.

The Garden, June 24, 1922.
Among the June Irises.
The richly if sombrely tinted Sunset, also illustrated, also marks a notable advance. It received a well deserved award of merit at the recent Iris Show under the clumsy name I. ochracea coerulea. Very free flowering and an excellent grower, its good form the picture will attest. It is, we understand, to be distributed this autumn by Messrs. G. G. Whitelegg and Co.

Millet et Fils, Bourg-la-Reine, Seine, France. Catalogue 1922
OCHRACEA-COERULEA (Denis) très tàrdif, jaune citron et mauve lilacè, violet cobée, coloris original.

The Gardener's Chronicle 1922.
Awards of Merit
Iris Ochracea-Coerulea. — In this charming variety the standards are bright copper colour and the semi-horizontal falls are yellow based, with brown reticulations, while the blade is dull blue, shading to copper. Raised bv M. Denis, of Balaruc les-Bains. Shown by W. R. Dykes, Esq.

The Gardener's Chronicle 1922

Cayeux & Le Clerc, Quai de la Mègisserie, 8, Paris. Catalog 1923
Ochracea-Coerulea (Denis 1919).S.old gold colour. F. of the same tone tinted blue-lilac and cobea violet. Pretty and distinct colour. Vigorous plant, very free and late flowering. Has been also named 'Sunset'. This iris has obtained a Certificate of Merit S.N.H.F. when shown by us on May 1922.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January 1925, Number 14.
Impressions of Irises Seen Abroad in June 1924, Mrs. Silas B. Waters, Cincinnati.
Ochracea-Caerulea is indeed a beautiful iris and quite distinct in its coloring and well nigh indescribable. It received a special award of merit in 1922. Undoubtedly the latter part of its name was chosen because of the exquisite undertone of blue which gives to its varying shades of gold its translucent beauty. It has so much of charm not alone in color but in form and substance, delicately beautiful yet not fragile looking. It will make a fascinating picture in the garden as well as meet any competitor on exhibition.

Lee R. Bonnewitz Catalog,Van Wert, Ohio,1926.
SUNSET (Denis) - Ochracea-Coerulea
S. dull lavender bordered yellow. F. same colour as the standards. Yellow and tan reticulations at base of falls. Yellow beards. Late. This variety was originated by Denis and named Ochracea Coerulea but it attained its greatest popularity in England, where in 1922 it received an "Award of Merit", and by some means the name was changed to Sunset. Its color is the nearest approach to gold of any Iris I know, and the quality of its petals is superior to that of a great many varieties. Although it will eventually be lower in price, I do not hesitate to advise its purchase now. 

Elizabeth Hardy Iris Gardens, Kentfield, Marin County, California. 1927 Catalog.
Irises of a Later Introduction.
SUNSET (Denis) The standards of this lovely iris are like cloth of gold, the falls are the same but suffused blue violet. A strong grower, free flowering, late and scented. Stock limited. Rating 83 (AIS).

Barr and Sons, King Street, Covent Garden. Nurseries Taplow, Bucks. 1928 Catalogue.
Ochracea-Coerulea (syn Sunset) (Squalens). Denis 1919
Standards of a bronzy old gold colour. Falls  edged golden-bronze,centre shading to lilac,beard orange,a beautiful and distinct variety. 34 in. Late flowering A. M. R.H.S.

Royal Iris Garden, Frazer, Pennsylvania. 1932 Catalog.
OCHRACAE (Denis 1919) 40"
A lovely blend of pastel shades. S. old gold, F. old gold,with central suffusion of lavender. Unique in color, it grows and blooms well, and is one of our latest irises, making a splendid mass of bloom  after all else is gone. Indispensable.

Carl Salbach, Berkeley, California, Iris and Selected Seed Catalog, 1934.
OCHRACAE-COERULEA (Denis 1919)
The standards are like cloth of gold, the falls the same but suffused blue violet. A strong grower, free flowering, very late and scented.

AIS Checklist 1939
OCHRACAE-COERULEA TB-MLa- S4L (Denis 1919)  (Darius X .........)

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version. Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Nathalie Faivre for her amazing photo, and Parc Floral de Paris for the use of the photo, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Parc Floral is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Nathalie Faivre and Parc Floral de Paris © .

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French Historic Tall Bearded Iris SERAPHITA

Classic form with dazzling colours that would give your garden zing and a whole lot of zang. A stylish iris that one could expect to see at Giverny, the Gardens of Claude Monet. These irises are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners who appreciate real class.
Séraphîta is the title of a French novel by Honoré de Balzac published in 1834 in the 'Revue de Paris'.

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1942
Nouveautés d'Iris de mon obtention 1942-1943
Séraphîta. Divisions supérieures héliotrope fumé. Divisions inférieures étalées violet rose à grande gorge 

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1949.
Séraphîta Smoky heliotrope standards. Pinky purple falls, almost horizontal. Large yellow throat. A very fine variety. Height 2 1/2 feet.

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, July 1951, Number 122.
List of varieties of Irises from 1939 till 1949 and 1950 For the Alphabetical Iris CheckList of the A. I. S. as far as obtainable.
Remainder Irises Out of the Catalogue (English) Rene Cayeux 1949 (Abstract), Breeder F. Cayeux.
SERAPHITA Smoky heliotrope standards. Pinky purple falls. Large yellow throat. A very fine variety. M.L. Put in sale before 1948. 

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1952.
Séraphita. M. H. 1m. Superbe variété de nuance attrayante et distincte. P. héliotrope fumé, S. presque horizontales rose pourpré sur lesquelles contrastent des barbes orange vif, la fleur de forme parfaite et de bonne taille est portée par des hampes très ramifiées.

Jean Cayeux, Poilly-Lez-Gien,Loiret (France) Iris, Hemerocalles, Pivoines, 1961.
Séraphîta. M. Hauteur 1m. Hampes fines et ramifiées portant de jolies fleurs violet aniline clair teinté d'héliotrope.

Cayeux, La Carcaudière - Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lovers Catalogue, 2014.
SERAPHITA (Cayeux 1946) Tall bearded - Mid-season - size: 100cm - colour: Violet
Slender and well branched stalks carrying graceful, light aniline violet flowers. Standards are lighter and more pink. Golden yellow styles and beards. A decorative and rather long flowering variety.

AIS Checklist 1949
SERAPHITA (Cayeux 1946) TB-M-R3M

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Richard Cayeux is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux © .

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French Historic Tall Bearded Iris PAILLASSE

Truly an amazing Iris with great presence. Historical + and a variety that gives an insight to just how French hybridisers  in the 20's and the 30's were so well advanced in the field of colour, size of bloom, producing flowers of world class in the classic form. I'm so glad these stylish irises that one would expect to see at Giverny, the Gardens of Claude Monet are once again becoming available for purchase from commercial growers, and I'm sure they will create a renewed interest in these classic irises and be wildly popular with gardeners.

Vilmorin Andrieux & Cie, 4 Quai de la Mégisserie, Paris (1er), Plantes 1938.
Paillasse (Cayeux nouveauté 1936). Divisions supérieures jaune d'or légèrement teinté de lilas. Divisions inférieures rouge bordeaux très strié et bordé de jaune bronzé. Gros effet d'opposition de couleurs. Tardif. Haut 0m90.

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1939
Varieties my obtention put into commerce before 1937
PAILLASSE (Cayeux 1936)
S. gold yellow slightly tinted lilac. F. wine red ground quite striated and edged bronzy yellow. Strong effect of the opposition of colour, late flowering. Height 3 feet.

Cooleys Gardens, Silverton, Oregon. Iris Catalog, 1951.
PAILLASSE (Cayeux) Each 40c; 3 for $1.00
A French introduction resembling in some ways the popular Marquita, but with more cinnamon-rose color in the falls and considerable of this tint blended in the standards. The ground color is deep cream. A really different Iris and a good grower and free bloomer; seldom seen.

Rene Cayeux, 124 rue Camille-Groult, Vitry-sur-Seine, près Paris, Seine. Iris Catalogue 1952.
Paillasse. T.T. Hauteur 0m70. Ce semis de Marquita est une réplique plus foncée et en possède  toutes les qualités, tout en en étant bien différente. Pétales jaune doré, sépales rouge fraise foncé bordé bronze. Très bon coloris.

Jean Cayeux, Poilly-Lez-Gien,Loiret (France) Iris Hemerocalles,Pivoines, 1961.
Paillasse. T.T. Hauteur 0m70. Ce semis de Marquita est une réplique plus foncée et en possède  toutes les qualités, tout en en étant bien différente.

Cayeux, La Carcaudière - Route de Coullons, France. Iris Lovers Catalogue, 2014.
PAILLASSE Tall bearded - Very late - size:70cm - colour:Bi-colour
A direct descendant of "Marquita" with ivory petals edged with golden yellow. Dark strawberry- red falls with a thin light bronze border. Bright yellow beards.

AIS Checklist 1939
PAILLASSE TB-MLa-Y9D (Cay.1936); Cay.1936 ; 1938; R., 1936

AIS Checklist 1949
PAILLASSE. Etc.; (Cay.1936); R., 1936 (MARQUITA X REDALGA) ;etc. (new data)

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.
Major Hat Tips and "Merci beaucoup" to Richard Cayeux for his photos, his daughter Hortense for collating and formatting the high resolution photos, and to Catherine Adam for her direction and help with the French Language, and catalogue listings.

Reproduction in whole or in part of this photo without the expressed written permission of Richard Cayeux is strictly prohibited.
Photo credit and copyright Richard Cayeux © .

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Historic Tall Bearded Iris PURISSIMA

Purísima means "purest" in Spanish and is most commonly used in Spanish to refer to La Purísima Concepción (the Immaculate Conception) of the Virgin Mary. Historical misspelling in English resulting in double "s" which, as you can see is how the Iris was registered.Well used in iris breeding in the Thirties, Forties, and Fifties.
Has a New Zealand connection, first used by Jean Stevens in  her 1936 breeding programme as a pod parent and the first cross recorded was M7 Purissima X Inspiration although no seedlings were finally selected. The hybridiser Pattie Levett who lived at the family homestead "Beccles" in a small North Island town called Bulls used Purissima in the parentage that produced a beautiful creamy white Tall bearded Iris 'Wychnor'.
In America, lets not forget Purissima was the Pod parent to that game changer of hybridising the amazing 'Snow Flurry'. Also parent of Helen McGregor, Her Grace, Mary Rich Lyon, Pike's Peak Pink, grandparent of Cahokia, Pierre Menard, and Sleighride.

Irises for Every Garden. History of Bearded Irises. Sydney B. Mitchell.
In the perspective of thirty-five years it is now possible to rate William Mohr the outstanding American breeder. Through is work with Iris mesopotamica and Foster's Kashmir White, American breeders were given in the late twenties such outstanding irises as Conquistador, bred from the diploid Juniata by the huge ungainly mesopotamica; El Capitan bred from Oriflame by mesopotamica; Purissima which came from a seedling of Caterina by Kashmir White crossed with Conquistador ; the epoch-making tetraploid plicata's, San Francisco and Los Angeles and many others.

Rainbow Fragments, J. Marion Shull, published 1931.
A List of Better Varieties. Whites.
The supreme white self has not yet appeared, and this group includes none that has earned a rating of 90 or more at the hands of any considerable number of judges. Kashmir White and White Queen have won the same rating as Taj Mahal, but the former is not always a dependable grower. Purissima though rated very highly by a very small number of judges, does not promise to live up to a somewhat over-pretentious name, since it does not appear to be purer white then the ubiquitous Florentina, with which everyone is familiar, however much finer it may be in other respects.

Cooley's Iris Gardens, Silverton, Oregon, Bearded, Japanese, Spanish and Dutch Irises, 1932.
Recent Novelties and Specialties
PURISSIMA
If you live in the Pacific Northwest, in California or in the South, by all means add this glorious white to your collection! Nothing that grows can compare with it when flowered under congenial conditions. Growers in colder and wetter sections of the country can also succeed with it, but it must have winter protection except in warm climates. A normally flowered stalk of Purissima is a never-to-be-forgotten sight...............................Each  $1.75

Quality Gardens, Iris, Freeport, Illinois. Iris 1933.
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell)
A pure white iris of great size and splendid form. Not hardy in all climates, but ideal for moderate or warm climates. We grow it perfectly by giving it winter protection, and it is well worth the effort. It is the only tender iris variety we list...........................................$1.00

Bulletin of the American Iris Society, January 1933, Number 46.
VARIETAL NOTES From England, Australia, and Elsewhere (editorial comments added).
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mit.) The finest white. I cannot conceive of anything finer; 5-5½ft., perfect in every way. England.
Mr. Pilkington must be impatient to see the flock of American whites of which the New England Committee has selected Easter Morn, Polar King, and Venus de Milo as of equal interest to the connoisseur. Ed.

National Iris Gardens, Beaverton, Oregon, 20th Catalog, 1936.
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell, 1927) E, 48".
The finest pure white Iris. Roots are tender and it is not recommended for the more northern states (for which Easter Morn and Los Angeles are more suitable), but grows well on the Pacific Coast and south of the Mason & Dixon line. A normally flowered stalk is a never-to-be-forgotten sight. Perfectly branched with finely shaped flowers.

Carl Salbach, Berkeley, California. Iris and selected seed Specialities.1937.
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell). Although introduced ten seasons ago, this remarkable iris still blooms as the most perfect white, handicapped only by a touch of tenderness when grown in regions of severe wintering. Latest reports indicate perfect wintering in many regions, but it is definitely erratic in its bloom in the Midwestern and Eastern regions of the United States. Grows ideally where winters are mild. Pure white with great poise, fine form, and heavy substance. With the sun shining through it, it has the appearance of frosted glass. Ideal branching. Where the climate is mild, or where the quest for perfection outweighs the risk of no blooms, Purissima will be every bit as good as Bridal Veil and Snow King, the two new and hardy leaders in white, although all three are non-competitive, being different in type. We suggest yearly replacements with our fully mature rhizomes for the greatest probability of bloom in cold climates. Early. 50-inch. ---- 40c; 3 for $1.00

Stevens Bros, Bulls, New Zealand, Catalogue of Irises 1937-38.
PURISSIMA
This splendid flower still sets a mark of perfection and purity unequaled by any other iris. A pure white of great poise, fine form and heavy substance. With the sun shining through it, this has the appearance of frosted glass...........................................................4½ft.

Iris 'Purissima' in the garden of British Iris Society President G. L. Pilkington.
Illustration from The Iris Year Book 1938, insert facing page 52 

The Iris Yearbook (BIS), 1942, Bearded Flag Irises-An Initial Thirty, F.Wynn Hellings.
10. PURISSIMA. This superb Californian variety, a veritable queen, would have been in my first list (above) if it were not for the fact that some growers consider it tender in England. Its conduct in this garden has been exemplary, planted as it is in a position sheltered from north and east winds in soil lightened with sand. Its grave, statuesque beauty justifies this little extra care. It is early flowering, in fact in most years it is the first of the tall, bearded, May-June Irises to flower, only yielding in some years to HARMONY. The stems run to 5 feet in height and the branching is excellent. The flowers, which have a slight bluey tint at first, are perfect in form and are noticeably lasting,

AIS Checklist 1939
PURISSIMA (Mohr-Mitchell, R. 1927). TB, M. WW. Argentina X Conquistador.  Preliminary Commendation RHS 1933. Salbach 1927.

As always clicking on the above image will take you to the larger, higher resolution version.

Photo credit and copyright Iris Hunter.

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