One last species: Iris nelsonii
Not long after Professor Ike settled
into his professorial duties at U.S.L., he began to hear of a newly
discovered group of irises called the "Abbeville Reds," or
sometimes the "Super Fulvas." W. B. MacMillan, a shrewd
businessman and a keen naturalist who settled in Abbeville in 1928,
was captivated by the natural environment of the Lafayette/Abbeville
area, and he explored the swamps for interesting plants. He
immediately joined the circle of local fanciers, and his pleasant
personality and intelligence soon allowed him to blossom into an iris
expert.
In his later years, MacMillan
recalled that collecting superior wild seedlings "became a kind
of crusade," in which "marsh trips were no longer
recreational jaunts or due to the lure of the mysterious marshland.
Collecting the more striking hybrids for yard gardens in addition to
the very special collections in the DeBaillon and Dorman spreads,
became the vogue." To make a long story short, suffice it to
say that W. B. MacMillan discovered the Abbeville Reds in the swamps
of Vermilion Parish, an area Dr. Small had somehow missed entirely.
MacMillan knew these irises were
different. They were larger in size, with good vigor, strong
substance, and a color more noticeably red. Early one Sunday morning
as he ventured into his backyard seedling patch, MacMillan was
startled to discover a young man in his garden..."He was so
likely looking that, after he introduced himself as Ike Nelson, newly
arrived at U.S.L. and with a special interest in finding out more
about our local irises, I listened with increasing interest...so, I
cut church, discarded all plans for the day, and we found ourselves
headed to my pet rendezvous in Buteau Woods...." Awaiting were
the Abbeville Reds, and Professor Ike set about to get these irises
analyzed for scientific and horticultural interests. After years of
study and taxonomic analysis, L. F. Randolph, a botanist at Cornell
University, published the necessary description of a new species,
Iris nelsonii, named in honor of the tireless Professor Ike
Nelson.20
Other Collectors
Both W. B. MacMillan and Professor Ike
were dedicated collectors, and both introduced several named
cultivars that played important roles in creating what Joe
Mertzweiller called the "Foundation Stock." This stock
consisted of the superior specimens and natural hybrids from which
the modern hybrids have been bred. Several stand out as particularly
important. MacMillan named a fine magenta selection 'Peggy Mac'
after the wife who shared his horticultural passions. Mertzweiller
believed 'Peggy Mac' to be "very possibly the most important of
all collected Louisiana irises." He ventured that "'Peggy
Mac' was the first to show the flaring, overlapping form and was
unsurpassed in transmitting this form to its progeny."
Professor Ike registered a number of collected forms, and his hybrid
'Cherry Bounce,' a cherry red self, won the DeBaillon in 1951.21
A listing of important collected irises is published as Appendix B to
this document.
Period of Hybridization
Many irisarians through the years have
expended immense energy and money in an attempt to improve upon the
natural design of the iris. We have seen this most pronounced among
the breeders of the tall bearded irises, where much of the plant's
original grace and charm have been lost to ruffles and crimping,
spoons and flounces--frills that merely appeal to gaudiness and
change for the sake of change. We might be facing the same
phenomenon today in the Louisiana iris world as cultivars are being
bred and introduced at a prodigious rate, many of them little
resembling the species and collected forms of their recent ancestors.
However, there seems to be a consensus that most modern Louisiana
iris introductions still retain the old charm and beauty that
attracted earlier generations, although some hold that many modern
Louisiana cultivars are approaching the maximum size allowed before
becoming top-heavy like many of the modern bearded.
Percy Viosca, Jr. is remembered most
as the man who punctured Dr. Small's taxonomic balloon, the man who
organized the Hexagonae series into the scheme generally
followed today. However, Viosca was a man of good judgment as well
as good botanical sense. In 1935 he wrote of the potential for
hybridizing the Louisiana irises into a broad range of garden
cultivars: "...with the assistance nature has already given
them, hybridizers, within a few years, will be able to produce many
hardy garden varieties with undreamed of horticultural qualities."22
Most breeders of garden varieties had
varied goals, but they all dreamed of developing cultivars that would
find homes in gardens of the nation and world. A bit of Luther
Burbank lurks within the breasts of all plant breeders, and those of
us who love gardens and beauty should be ever grateful. This is not
to say that every collected iris--nor hybrid-- was appealing to
every beholder.
23
Nor is this to say hybridizers actually "improve" upon
nature. However, hybridizers use nature's own potential for
change, to produce new garden varieties that manifest some sort
of improvement upon other varieties. Sometimes it will be a new
color combination, such as Charles Arny's 'Easter Tide,' a
yellow/lavender concoction sure to bring praise from any garden
visitor. Sometimes a cultivar will simply possess a combination of
traits that comprise a memorable whole; Frank Chowning's 'Dixie Deb'
is a prime example of this.
24
Alas, for every new seedling
registered, hundreds must be ruthlessly rogued out. Breeding new
plants is hard work, and the results can only be seen after years
elapse. Still, there is that yearning to produce something
beautiful, a seedling that will produce a flower so beautiful, so
distinctive, so endearing, that it must be registered and
introduced into commerce.
The Early Hybridizers
The early breeders faced the challenge
of obtaining stock sufficient to undertake breeding on a large scale.
The collectors were generous with each other, and from the 1930s a
small trade in Louisiana iris rhizomes served this tightly knit clan
of plantspeople.
Mrs. DeBaillon left her collection to
Caroline Dorman, a fellow collector who also undertook a hybridizing
program. Miss Dorman's greatest claim to fame as a breeder is
'Wheelhorse' (R1952), a rose bitone which has remained popular to
this day and figures prominently in the genealogy of many
award-winning irises.
25
Another north Louisiana neighbor of
Miss Dorman was Sidney L. Conger of Arcadia. Conger worked to
produce wider flowers with overlapping parts, with 'W. B. MacMillan'
(R1957) being his crowning glory. This red bitone was considered
quite an achievement, and it has figured in the parentage of the
famous DeBaillon Award winners 'Charlie's Michele' (Arny 67), 'Ann
Chowning' (Chowning 73), and 'Marie Caillet' (Conger 63).
Charles Arny, Jr. of Lafayette evolved
into the preeminent hybridizer in the 1960s. In addition to his
previously mentioned 'Easter Tide,' he is recognized for his work in
producing the outstanding ruffled white named 'Clara Goula,' which he
named after his next door neighbor. Arny captured more than a dozen
DeBaillon Awards/Medals, more than any other individual.
Like Arny, Marvin Granger of Lake
Charles, Louisiana, was a prolific hybridizer. His 'Bramble Queen'
(R62) is still considered distinctive; but he is known especially for
his "double" cultivars--meaning varieties in which the
standards are pendulous like the falls. His 'Creole Can Can' (R56)
is a collected double that has been used by many breeders to induce
doubling.
A hybridizer of note and a past
president of SLI, Dorman Haymon bred 'Praline Festival' (R92). Many
people believed 'Praline Festival' was fated to win a DeBaillon and
it did in 2001. His sultry 'Empress
Josephine' (R89) is one of the darker Louisianas. Another Lafayette
breeder is Richard Goula. A next door neighbor of Charles Arny and a
former president of SLI, Goula has an intimate knowledge of all
aspects of breeding and growing Louisiana irises--and he is
considered an authority on the history of Louisiana iris work.
Not all successful hybridizers were
residents of Louisiana. Neighboring Arkansas has produced a number
of outstanding breeders, the dean being the late Frank Chowning.
Chowning pursued a variety of goals, but he was unusual in his
concentration on producing cold-hardy cultivars. Thus, he made
extensive use of I. brevicaulis, which is considered the most
hardy of the species. His 'Black Gamecock' (R78) is grown deep into
the freeze zones, including Canada. Chowning served as a mentor to
many, including Richard Morgan and Henry Rowlan also of Arkansas.
Morgan and Rowlan carried on Chowning's pioneering work after his
death, producing hardy garden varieties.
26
Texas is the home to a number of
people active in the Louisiana iris world. Josephine Shanks of
Houston has been a leader in promoting Louisiana irises through her
chairmanship of the SLI International Committee. Kirk Strawn, of the
College Station area, has introduced a wide variety of cultivars. In
more recent years J. Farron Campbell of the Dallas area has evolved
as a leader in the field, having served as President of SLI. He is
also a hybridizer. Albert "Bobo" Faggard of Beaumont,
Texas has introduced a variety of cultivars, many of them being
shorter varieties.
California gardeners are gradually
weaning themselves from bearded irises, and the late Mary Dunn has
been the most productive of the west coast breeders. She won
DeBaillon Medals for four of her introductions: 'Monument,' 'Rhett,'
'Bajazzo,' and 'Bayou Mystique.' Joe Ghio and the late Ben Hager,
both celebrated breeders of bearded irises, have produced several
outstanding cultivars, including DeBaillon winners 'Delta King' and
'Mary Dunn.'
Kevin Vaughn, a research scientist for
the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has dived into hybridizing
Louisiana irises in a spectacular sort of way. He has been chairman
of the SLI Scientific Committee for years, and in 2000 he became SLI
President. Vaughn has admitted to hybridizing "anything with
pollen on it," and he first made a reputation in breeding
hostas. His crosses are based on a remarkable knowledge of genetics,
and observers expect a great future from this young man.
The Struggle for Tetraploidy
Members of the Hexagonae series
are diploid, meaning plants have two complete sets of chromosomes
(expressed as "2n"). Interestingly and somewhat unusually,
the Hexagonae species have chromosome counts that vary
little--from 2n=42 for I. fulva and I. nelsonii
to 2n=44 for I. brevicaulis, I. giganticaerulea, and I.
hexagona. These irises will hybridize quite easily, at least in
theory.
Tetraploid irises are those which
have, either through natural mutation or chemical inducement on the
part of humans, had their chromosome count doubled. Here's how the
late Joseph K. Mertzweiller, a Baton Rouge, Louisiana hybridizer and
the leading proponent of tetraploidy, described the perceived
benefits of this doubling of chromosomes: "Tetraploidy offers
many advantages in plant breeding. Each gene is represented four
times rather than twice and this offers a much wider range of genetic
features which translates into larger sizes, improved substance,
deeper colors, new color combinations and patterns, new forms and
other desirable features."
27
In 1964 Mertzweiller began converting
Louisiana irises using the dangerously toxic chemical colchicine, a
harsh process that kills most plants, but in a few rare instances
colchicine will double the number of chromosomes in a given subject.
After three decades he had produced a series of "tet"
cultivars, commonly referred to as "the Professors." These
are 'Professor Claude,' 'Professor Ike,' 'Professor Paul,' 'Professor
Sigmund,' 'Professor Ellis,' 'Professor Jim,' 'Professor Marta
Marie,' 'Professor Fritchie,' 'Professor Barbara,' and 'Professor
Neil.' Mertzweiller's great hope was that his "professors"
could serve as the "foundation stock" for a whole new race
of Louisiana irises. His enthusiasm was boundless.
28
One of the people who joined in the
tetraploid crusade was Kenneth Durio, a brilliant nurseryman from
Opelousas, Louisiana, who bred a whole string of tetraploid
cultivars: 'Bozo,' 'Decoy,' 'Godzilla,' 'King Kong,' 'Sauterne,' and
'Wine Cooler' being some of his popular tetraploids. In more recent
years hybridizers as diverse as Samuel N. Norris of Kentucky and
Robert Raabe of Australia have produced popular cultivars. Raabe's
'Coorabell' and Norris' 'Kentucky Cajun' are both outstanding plants,
with large flowers of incredible substance.
International Players
From the earliest years the irises
within the Hexagonae series have appealed to iris fanciers
around the world. The English authority William R. Dykes himself, as
noted earlier, produced at least two hybrids, and even citizens of
the southern hemisphere found that Louisianas are quite adaptable.
Residents of Australia and New Zealand
encountered huge obstacles in building collections capable of
sustaining breeding programs, but they did it nonetheless. No one
represents this phenomenon better than Sam E. Rix of Mount Maunganui,
North Island, New Zealand.
Rix, proprietor of the Hotel Oceanside
in Mount Maunganui, first began communicating with the Society for
Louisiana Irises in 1952. By that point he had already built a large
collection of species irises, including the Hexagonae. Within
two years this diligent and persistent Kiwi had assembled a vastly
expanded collection, thanks to Royce D. Spinkston, a South Australia
fancier of Louisiana irises who had sent seeds. He also received
seeds from Inez Conger, Caroline Dorman, and W. B. MacMillan. "At
the moment I have some hundreds of fine seedlings, and those from the
first germination are now huge plants, and are about to flower,"
Rix proudly announced in 1952.
But the best news, Rix reported, was
the arrival of a shipment of named cultivars from the Congers in
Louisiana. The names fairly spring from his typewritten letter:
'Royal Gem,' 'The Khan,' 'Bayou Glory,' 'Just Kate,' 'Sara Gladney,'
and many more. He continued: "In a month or so I hope to see
the first blooms on plants like 'Caroginia,' 'Peggy Mac,' 'New
Orleans,' 'Dixie Deb,' 'Elizabeth the Queen,'' and many others."
He was eager to share further news with his international peers:
"I plan to breed these plants on
a large scale, and within a year or so hope to have many thousands of
seedlings coming in bloom each spring. For a number of years I have
been deeply interested in iris species, and have grown the rather
difficult oncocyclus and regelio-cyclus hybrids in large numbers,
together with many other types. I have had to work under
difficulties in a very exposed position, for our hotel is right on
the sand dunes, facing the Pacific Ocean. Storms sweep in from the
sea, and have frequently scorched many of my plants badly. I have
noticed though, that the Louisiana irises have withstood salt spray
very well.
I have been studying genetics, in the
hope that more knowledge may make it possible for me to produce
something worthwhile in years to come.
29
Nearly a decade passed before Sam Rix
finally saw his hopes recognized. In 1961 he received an Honorable
Mention from the American Iris Society for a Louisiana iris named
'Frances Elizabeth.' By 1963 it was runner-up for the DeBaillon
Award, and two years later 'Frances Elizabeth' won the coveted
DeBaillon, essentially the highest award given for Louisiana irises.
'Frances Elizabeth' was the first non-American iris to win the
DeBaillon. The winning record begun by Sam Rix in New Zealand has,
however, been continued with a vengeance on the continent of
Australia.
Americans tend to think of Australia
as being a "sunburnt country," and not a suitable home for
Louisiana irises. However, Australia is blessed with a climate
which, if sufficient water can be provided, will produce record
growth in Louisiana irises (as well as many other introduced plants).
Royce D. Spinkston was one of the early growers of Louisiana irises
in Australia, and he soon had many associates. Robert Raabe, New
South Wales, introduced many outstanding Louisiana irises, including
two popular blues, 'La Perouse, (R75) and 'Sinfonietta' (R86), and a
stunning tetraploid named 'Coorabell' (R88).
John C. Taylor, New South Wales, has
become something of a phenomenon. Among his dozens of registrations
are several that are considered breakthroughs. His 'Dural White
Butterfly' (R89) is a glorious pure white with ruffles to spare,
and it is a good grower. While not a consistent performer in
North America, 'Margaret Lee' is widely recognized as the first of
the hugely ruffled Aussie introductions.
Heather and Bernard Pryor, New South
Wales, breed Louisianas on a large scale, and they have introduced a
large number of cultivars. Heather Pryor has worked especially hard
to develop a true orange and her 'Bushfire Moon' is a step in that
direction. Bernard is working on a range of goals, with shorter
varieties--which he calls "water sprites"--being a
specialty.
Dr. T. J. Betts gardens in a dry
place, near Perth, Western Australia. But that has not kept him from
registering more than a score of his hybrids. Other Australian
hybridizers of note are Janet Hutchinson, New South Wales, the
originator of the distinctive 'Popsie,' and Peter Jackson, South
Australia, who is working to develop "a high quality red, a
ruffled near black and he is experimenting with veining and spray
patterns."
Conclusion
Recently the Society for Louisiana
Irises ventured onto the Internet. A Louisiana iris discussion group
(technically a "listserv") has existed for more than two
years, and people from around the world subscribe. This year the
Society debuted its "site" on the Internet, one of the more
sophisticated sites posted by any horticultural group. One of the
features of the site will be access to a comprehensive checklist of
Louisiana cultivars, which will ultimately be searchable by a number
of functions. These Internet activities, along with a recently
published book, will do much to generate renewed interest in
Louisiana irises as we venture into the new century.
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