Lucy, I agree that the Emma Cook pattern is a genetic trait. What I find challenging is that you can look back at previous generations and there is nothing to say that what you are seeing is a genetic Emma Cook pattern. You have to look at the lineage. The parentage of some of these irises is so complex who is to say there isn't some Emma Cook 'blood' back there somewhere. Do you know if it is recessive as in glaciatas and luminatas? I also seem to recall that the new 'Emma Cook' irises have been developing wider bands of color....so I'm not sure what to think...other than to do our best and use the classifications as a search guide, not as a 'cast in iron' category.
