This is a question for all the smart people in this forum. I know that Iris x germanica is considered a species iris, but I am a little confused. I thought all the fancy hybrids we have were also iris germanica. How does the Iris x germanica fit in to the big picture of bearded iris apart from being ancient ... sort of. Do people still cross with the it or has it been left in the dust years ago?

technically it is I.germanica & very few people would cross with the species unless they are experimenting with something. More choices now.

Iris x germanica is believed to be a naturally occurring hybrid between Iris pallida and Iris variegata. It grows in the wild in northern and eastern Europe and has been cultivated in gardens there for several centuries, at least. Tall Bearded Irises are often referred to as "Iris germanica" by nurseries and gardeners. That is wrong.

The cultivars of bearded irises that most people grow in their gardens today trace their ancestry back to several wild species of irises, including Iris pallida, Iris variegata, Iris pumila, Iris aphylla, and/or others. But, Iris x germanica itself doesn't seem to have played much of a role, possibly none at all, in the creation modern garden irises.

I was just looking for this exact explanation!

Thank you. This is what I wanted to know.