User:DavidAnstiss/Iris × fulvala

Iris × fulvala, is a hybrid species of flowering plant in the family Iridaceae. Its parents are Iris versicolor and Iris virginica, both of which are native to North America.

Description
I. fulva and I. hexagona, from the swampy ground near New Orleans, terra-cotta coloured I. fulva from the South-eastern States. The Hexagona group contains only three species : I. hexagona, I. foliosa and I. fulva. I. foliosa is a dwarf form with the large flowers of hexagona, and one day I had the idea of attempting to give it the tall stem and the terra-cotta colour of I. fulva. The cross succeeded and I. fulvala is a beautiful, vigorous hybrid with dark purple flowers, even giving seeds. From these seeds I have raised varieties with more or less chamois-coloured flowers—an unexpected result.

IRIS X FULVALA. (" The Gardeners' Chronicle "—July 2nd, 1910.) This iris, which was shown before the Royal Horticultural Society on June 2ist, and recommended for an Award of Merit by the Floral Committee, is interesting as being the first recorded hybrid of Iris fulva, a species from the swamps of the Southern United States distinguished by its remarkable terra-cotta colour and the drooping habit of its standards and falls. The fact that no other iris approaches it in colour has led to repeated attempts to increase the size of the flower by hybridisation, but, hitherto, apparently, these attempts have been fruitless. The pollen parent of fu lvala was the beautiful local species found by Lora La Mance in the mountains of Arkansas and usually known as hexagona Lamancei. This iris forms, with the true hexagona, one of the several curious pairs of American irises (of which another instance is bracteata and Purdyi), the flowers of which can scarcely be distinguished, although the structural details of the botanically important parts of the plants, such as the ovary, the tube and the spathes, show that they belong to two distinct species. The large blue-purple, flattish flowers of Lamancei are of considerable substance and great beauty, but the plant produces only a dwarf stem, and, therefore, hides its flowers low down among the leaves. In the hybrid the tall stem of fulva is retained, and three to five flowers are borne in the axils of large leaves which decrease in size from the base upwards. The flower is of the shape of Lamancei, with spreading segments and somewhat Pointed falls. The colour of the specimens shown at the meeting was a rich velvety, reddish- almost crimson-purple, becoming yellow towards the centre of the flower, the falls bearing a central, deep yellow, slightly raised ridge, which is distinctly pubescent. This last feature is noticeable in Lamancei but not in fulva. As far as I can tell at present the plant is more floriferous than fulva, which, in some years, fails to give me any flowers at all. Besides the above plant, I have another which is very similar, but which bears flowers of a deep blue-violet. Both come from a pod of seed that ripened in 1907. dykes on iris

1912

Iris x fulvala (William Rikatson Dykes, 1913) In The Genus Iris: 81 (1913). Dykes notes "Evidence of the affinity of I. fulva and I. foliosa is found in the fact that the former proved to be readily fertile to pollen of the latter. Moreover the hybrid, I. fulvala, has proved not only to be entirely sterile, as is usually the case with hybrids between two widely separated species of Iris. On the other hand, we may take it that the two species are distinct, since the hybrid does not show "dominance" in any character, but is distinctly a compromise between the features of the two parents. Thus the foliage neither dies away entirely in autumn like that of I. foliosa, nor remains green and of considerable length like that of I. fulva. For the young growths push up soon after the flowers are over and are 4 or 6 inches long in winter, while those of I. foliosa are still only 1 in. long, and those of I. fulva a foot at least. The stem is more like that of I. fulva than like that of the pollen parent, but is sturdier. The flowers are the shape of I. foliosa, with perhaps more rounded segments, and the colour is distinctly a compromise between the terra cotta of I. fulva and the blue-purple of I. foliosa. The figure of a flower of I. fulvala shows the form in which the influence of the colour of I. fulva is most apparent. I have also from the same pod of seed other plants in which the shade of colour has distinctly more of the blue-purple of I. foliosa in it.

Iris fulva can easily hybridize with other Louisiana irises to create new variants. The first was 'Iris fulvala' a hybrid Dykes raised as a cross between Iris fulva and [Iris brevicaulis. It produced two forms, both with rich velvety falls, one a red-purple form and the other was a bluer shade. The name was composed of Iris fulva and the first syllable of Lamance (the common name of 'Iris foliosa' which was known at that time as Iris hexagona var. Lamancei). Later, Iris foliosa was found to be a synonym of Iris brevicaulis. The hybrids were found to be good garden plants and could flower more freely than either of the parents.

Iris Fulvala: Deep purple flowering iris with golf tounge to 18" - planted to 8"-11cm.

As with Iris fulva, Iris Fulvala is one of the Louisiana irises, which are naturally distributed in the warm and wetlands of the southern USA. In appearance, however, this iris is totally different. It is a much showier iris, with large, rich red-purple flowers and golden signals.

Similar characteristics are that it produces lush green foliage early in the spring, before many other types of garden plants have come in to leaf. It is a robust, rhizomatous iris.

Iris x fulvala plants prefer a pond or waterway in full sun, but they will generally perform well in light shade.

Newly bought containerized plants will be growing in a suitable soil, but if you are replanting, use good, clean garden soil from a part of the garden that has not recently been dressed with fertilizer. Remove twigs, weeds, old leaves or anything likely to decay and foul the water.

Plant between mid-spring and midsummer. Little general care is required once plants are established. Remove any dead or scrappy leaves when seen. Deadhead the faded flowers before seeds are set (unless you are wanting to collect the seed), otherwise flowering may be reduced the following year.

Description from the 1933 catalog, Royal Iris Gardens (J. C. Nicholls, Jr., Camillus, NY), p.75: Other American Species FULVALA (Dykes 1910). 30". A fine Fulva hybrid of a very bright deep red purple, with large golden arrow on falls. Very floriferous and artistic and fine as a cut flower. Strong growing, and very popular.

Species Iris (Iris fulvala) Search Plants Common names: Give a thumbs up (1)	Species Iris Give a thumbs up	Louisiana Iris Give a thumbs up	Iris Botanical names: Iris fulvala	Accepted Iris x fulvala	Synonym Also sold as: Iris 'Fulvala' Data specific to Irises (Edit) Classification:	Species General Plant Information (Edit) Life cycle:	Perennial Flowers:	Showy Underground structures:	Rhizome Propagation: Other methods:	Division Parentage:	Iris brevicaulis x Iris fulva

Botanical Name: Iris x fulvala (added by D. Kramb, 07-MAY-04) Classification: Hexagonae, Louisiana, Spec-X Hybrid (D. Kramb, 07-MAY-04) General Description: Louisiana iris (D. Kramb, 07-MAY-04) Distinguishing Features: This is a hybrid between Iris fulva and Iris brevicaulis. It refers to both naturally occurring as well as manmade hybrids. (D. Kramb, 07-MAY-04) Status in the Wild: May occur where ever the ranges of I. fulva and I. brevicaulis overlap. (D. Kramb, 07-MAY-04)

Iris × fulvala Award of Garden Merit (H5) 94 Status of name: Tentatively accepted name (Iridaceae) Type of plant: Bulb Description: "Rhizomatous herbaceous perennial to 80cm tall, with sword-shaped leaves and reddish-purple flowers 6cm wide, the falls with a narrow yellow central flash"

Iris x fulvala ‘Violacea’ which I recently saw at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales. I have had it as my desktop picture for the last few days and I find myself constantly stopping and just looking at it so thought I’d share it with you. It’s a cultivated variety from the US and prefers full sun, though might take light shade.