"Sacha" wrote after "Bob
Hobden" replied to
"Leslie" who asked
Hello Sacha

I live in Cornwall and I have seen in roadside hedges and field margins.

An almost black Iris of 20 " stature I have almost been tempted to take
but common sense wins out

I have not seen these plants for sale any ideas please


Of our two native Iris the only possibility is I. foetidissima (Stinking
Iris, Roast-beef plant, Gladdon, Bloody bones) but that normally would
not
be described as black, however there are a number of ex-garden Iris that
have escaped and Hermodactylus tuberosa (Snakes head or Widow iris) is
down
in the West Country.
http://home.planet.nl/~panurus/tuin/...Tuberosus.html

I don't believe this! I am amazed by the random of chance. Today, a
friend
and customer brought us a little posy of just these. They are wonderful
and
are delicately scented. She told us they are Iris tuberosa and she's some
gardener, I'll tell you! So we explored our books and we explored Google
and all those flowers were yellow, not the true and pure green of her
present and we have the yellow one. And now you've solved the problem. I
have them in a little vase on our kitchen table and said to Ray tonight
"how
can I most easily describe these to get an ID". Bob, thank you very much!
But overcoming my own delight, this isn't black enough to be what Leslie
is
looking for, I imagine?

Now here's a thought, perhaps Leslie has found a pure black form.
What would that be worth?
--
Regards
Bob H
17mls W. of London.UK