Iris lovers have formed several plant societies dedicated to just a single type of Iris. The "Louisiana Irises" is the common name for several species belonging to the beardless irises.
Timber Press released the second edition of
The Louisiana Iris written by members of the Society for Louisiana Irises in 2000. Let's take a look at this group of iris species and the book.
History of Louisiana Irises is discussed in chapter one. Here I learned that there are only 5 species included in the name "Louisiana Iris." Here I learned that the southern hemisphere has no native iris species. John James Audubon, a famous American naturalist, was the first person to use the term "Louisiana" iris. The five species within this group are
Iris hexagona, I. fulva, I. brevicaulis, I. giganticaerulea, and I. nelsonii. John K. Small of the New York Botanical Garden is responsible for popularizing these irises. You'll have to read the rest of the chapter to learn more about the history of this group of irises.
A detailed discussion of the classification of the Louisiana irises within the genus iris is presented in Chapter 2. This also includes a detailed description of the 5 species called "Louisiana Iris." This chapter should satisfy those who must know the exact scientific classification of every plant they have. Some of the rest of us may choose to skip over this chapter.
The third chapter presents a discussion of the different color pigments flower forms, and stalks within the Louisiana irises. Line sketches illustrating each of the flower forms is very helpful since it shows the wide variety of flowers available within this group of irises. According to this chapter, Louisiana irises can grow successfully in about 80% of the United States if their unique habitat needs are satisfied. Current effort is being made on showing the adaptability of these irises to grow in other climates and geographical regions. Some effort is being made to extend the range of Louisiana iris into colder regions.
Both species and natural hybrids are discussed in chapter 4. Charts listing the introductory dates of various natural hybrids of the iris are presented by name of the person introducing that particular cultivar into widespread circulation. Sometimes the people behind the cultivars are as fascinating as the cultivar itself.
Chapter 5 presents a comprehensive discussion on the Propagation of Louisiana Irises. This discussion includes vegetative reproduction through plant division and tissue culture. Seed reproduction is also covered. Black and white photographs illustrate the steps in pollinating flowers to produce seeds.
