I thought it would be a good idea to start show pictures of some of my cultivars with PBF. As most of you know, some plants have this feature as a faint presence while others have it prominently displayed. This feature also can change within a cultivar depending on the time of the year; mostly from a strong presence to fade to a weak or non existent presence. I have a bunch in this category that I will post over the next couple of weeks/months to fill up the "slow" time as our Southern Hemisphere folks bloom season is winding down!

First up will be "Foreign Statesman" and I will follow up with "Wabash".

Foreign Statesman

'Foreign Statesman' (Sterling Innerst, R. 1992) Sdlg. 3319-1. TB, 36" (91 cm), M. Full purple; beards purple blue, tipped bronze; slight fragrance. 'Titan's Glory' X 'Twice Delightful'. Innerst 1993. HM 1995.

It is interesting to note that Sterling did not comment or note PBF in his introduction and it is not part of the AIS description above. This is surprising because of how prominent it is on it, especially at this time of year. Here are the pictures ( taken 11/11/13).




As you can see, the PBF extends to the rhizome as well which I think is a very special/neat feature as I have personally hardly ever seen this feature.

This is obviously a very poor picture but 'Serena Louisa' is the darkest I have ever seen. Sorry, I'll need to look for the picture.

Notations of purple tinged foliage bases, spathes, rhizomes, etc. seem to never , or very rarely mentioned in the AIS descriptions, or by the introducer. Some vendor's catalogs have mentioned it, there were some period "iris handbooks' that seemed to list it as one of the "descriptors," also, but mostly one has to rely on "aftermarket" lists of pbf, (HIPS, Cubits, Irises of Shadow wood, etc.) What I find interesting about the trait is it's "variability", some cult. display early season, and fade to nothing , after bloom, some "show' all season, and some don't show any color till weather cools in the fall. Rainfall amounts seem to make a difference, too....Arlyn

That's an amazing amount of purple, Greg. I'm amazed that it wasn't included in the official description of the plant.

Cross posted with Paul and Arlyn. I didn't realize that PBF is routinely ignored in descriptions.

I think just like "fragrant" trait, this was not looked upon as a plus back in the day so it was not mentioned and maybe even discouraged. Today it is a helpful identifier and encouraged (at least I hope so).

Here are some pictures of "Foreign Statesman" in bloom. Kind of a "plain Jane" cultivar. The PBF makes it much more attractive in my opinion.

MTB 'Billie the Brownie' has pbf, but we forgot to list it in the description when registered. We were concentrating on the flower color. & oops forgot that feature. We should have done so as it passes on the trait.

I am going to try and remember to post pictures of the same cultivars at various times of the year so we can all see what changes if any occur during different times of the year. This is meant to be a photo example page and not a listing page for PBF. Love to see your pictures!

War Chief

1992, Schreiner

'War Chief' (Schreiner, R. 1992). Sdlg. T 1503-A. TB, 37" (94 cm). Early midseason bloom. Red self (RHS 185A); beards yellow. 'Minisa' X M 1005-A: ('Sultan's Palace' x 'Gallant Moment'). Schreiner 1992.



Note: Again, no mention of PBF in the AIS description.

Miles Ahead

2010, Schreiner

'Miles Ahead' (Schreiner, R. 2010) Sdlg. RR 17-1. TB, 37" (94 cm), EM. S. white; F. white, mottled 1 1/4" blue (RHS 94A) edge; beards yellow base tipped white, ruffled. 'Above the Clouds' X 'Can't Touch This'. Schreiner 2010.



Note: Again, no mention of PBF in the AIS description. Thought that this deficiency would be "fixed" by now; guess this trait is STILL not worthy of mention.

Anvil of Darkness

1998, Innerst

'Anvil of Darkness' (Sterling Innerst, R. 1998). Seedling 3936-10. TB, height 29" (75 cm), midseason bloom. Black self; beards black; slight fragrance. 2336-3: ('By Night' x 'Swazi Princess') X 'Before The Storm'. Innerst 1998. Honorable Mention 2000; President's Cup 2001; Award of Merit 2002.




Note: No mention of PBF in the AIS description.

Black Magic Woman

2008, Tasco

'Black Magic Woman'. (Richard Tasco, R 2008) Seedling 01-TB-66-84. TB, height 34" (86 cm), Early midseason bloom. Standards dark red violet; style arms same, lighter edges, fringed crest; falls satiny jet black (RHS202A); beards burnt persimmon orange; moderately ruffled, medium purple base foliage; very slight fragrance. 'Night Game' X 'Romantic Evening'. Superstition 2008. Honorable Mention 2010, Award of Merit 2012.



Yippie! Tasco gets a "Gold Star" for mentioning PBF in his description! And he states it is "medium". It is not as prominent as one of its parents {Night Game}, but it is still quite heavy. "Night Game" later in this series.

I officially have too many Irises. I was so intrigued by the description of Black Magic Woman, that I went to the database to have a look at it. Then checked my own database -- and I have it. Bought it from the PNW sale in 2012. Did not remember that I have it.

That's when you know you have too many Irises -- you don't know what you have. Anyone else in the same boat? Or is my memory just that bad?????

Greg -- your topic and photos are interesting.

I consult my "master list" a lot , MaryAnn ! Memory will tell me it's a familiar name...but whether it's one I have, or just WANT to have gets a bit foggy sometimes ! At some point I slipped from never forgetting anything...to can't remember squat!, but I can't remember when! ...Arlyn

Star in the Night

2009, Black

'Star In The Night' (Paul Black, R. 2009). Sdlg. O247C. IB, height 25” (64 cm), Mid to late bloom season. Standards dark blue purple; style arms dark inky blue-black; falls black, narrow blue-purple edge, subdued violetwhite rays around beard with short dart at end of same; beards medium violet tipped medium greyed-orange in throat, light greyed-yellow in middle, white at end; ruffled; pronounced spicy fragrance. 'Ocean Depths' X 'Wish upon a Star'. Mid-America 2009. Honorable Mention 2011; Walther Cup 2011 .

Hybridizer's Comment: What a breathtaking sight a clump of Star in the Night makes! Darkness descends as dark blue purple standards turn to inky blue black falls. White beards laid over violet bases shine brightly. Flowers are gently ruffled so as not to diminish the simple beauty of Star in the Night. Muted white rays amplify that brightness. Clean, healthy plants support bountiful stalks with 2 branches and 6-7 buds. Spectacular garden show.




Note: No mention of PBF in the AIS description.

Glowing Smile

2001, Hager

'Glowing Smile' (Ben Hager, deceased, by Cooley's Gardens, R. 2001). Sdlg. T6279Wh/WhYSp. TB, 37" (94 cm), M. S. white; style arms yellow; F. yellow, white rim; beards yellow. T5814YAmTl: (T4590WYTBds: (('Liz' x T2743A: (('Minnesota Glitters' x 'Flaming Star') x ('Minnesota Glitters' x 'Spanish Gift'))) x ('Pink Persian' x T2743A)) x T5293TY: ('Glorious Sunshine' x 'Fascinator' sib)) X T5527YAm, 'Passing Clouds' sib. Cooley 2001.



Note: No mention of PBF in the AIS description.

Instructor

1986, Innerst

'Instructor' (Sterling Innerst, R. 1986) Sdlg. 1977-1. TB, 36" (91 cm), E-M. S. cream to mid-yellow; F. same, edged mid-blue, blue beard tipped bronze; slight musky fragrance. 'Spinning Wheel' X 'Burgundy Brown'




Note: No mention of PBF in the AIS description.

Thornbird

1989, Byers

'Thornbird' (Monty Byers, registered 1988). Seedling D156-1-B. TB, height 35" (89 cm), mid season bloom. Standards pale ecru; falls greenish tan, deeper at hafts which are overlaid with deep violet lines radiating out from around beard and suffusing into center; violet beard tipped mustard, violet horns or spoons; lightly ruffled; slight sweet fragrance. 'Art Of Raphael' X B-8-2: ('Cease-Fire' x 'Sky Hooks'). Moonshine Gardens 1989. Honorable Mention 1991; Award of Merit 1993; Wister Medal 1996; American Dykes Medal 1997.



Note: No mention of PBF in the AIS description.