Page Two of Romancing the IrisI explained that I was not a professional, but wanted them to understand that they would be able to leave the meeting and start their own experiments that very afternoon, just as I had done. Irises normally reproduce by increasing rhizome growth. They can also reproduce if they are pollinated and make seeds. Cross pollinating potentially creates new color patterns and other characteristics.
I provided a few irises from my garden to show them the structure of the flower so they would be able to identify the parts needed for pollination. I carefully spread open the petals of an iris and used the handle of a thin paint brush to point out the pollen-covered stamen tucked beneath the stylearms in the center of the flower.
One woman said she couldn’t see the stamen very well, so I said the solution was to pinch off the male part of the plant and remove it so she could see. My fingers quickly pinched off a stamen and I held it up like a trophy. I noticed the two men in the group blanched noticeably.
"Don’t worry. It has two more stamens in there. Everything comes in sets of three," I assured them.
As I walked from person to person, displaying the stamen in the palm of my hand and pointing out the position it occupies in the flower, I answered questions and listened to remarks. One woman, who wore a bold pink flower-print blouse, studied the stamen and declared, "Isn’t that cute!" The gentlemen reserved comment.
"Could you put pollen from three different irises on the three female parts of the same iris?" she inquired.
"I suppose you could, but then you wouldn’t really know who the father was, would you?" I commented, causing renewed giggling among all the female gardeners. I quickly explained, "Serious hybridizers want to be certain of the lineage of their plants."
Next I rubbed the bristles of my paint brush over the stamen and collected some white pollen. I circled the room again to show them the pollen and where it needed to be placed. The end of the stylearms has a lip-like growth with a sticky surface called the stigma. This is the female reproductive organ where the fresh, powdery pollen needs to be applied.
The woman in pink declared this was also very cute.
"Do they like to have a cigarette afterwards?" a white-haired, grandmotherly woman snickered.
I passed around photographs of my garden, including closeups of a seed pod at several stages of development. Circling the room a third time, I pointed out the spath: a leaf-like covering over the ovary at the base of the flower. It swells up with seeds in a pollinated plant.
One woman marveled over the idea an iris had an ovary, "It’s got everything, doesn’t it?"
The woman seated next to her wanted to see the stamen and stigma again, "Well! How is that little fella going to reach way up there?"
"He is a bit under-endowed, isn’t he? That’s why irises don’t often reproduce this way without help," I swiped my paint brush across the stigma to prove my point. "There. All done!"
"My! That was quick. Just like some people," she said. I refrained from making eye contact with the men.
Margie displayed the first poster board again and pointed to each pair of parent plants as I showed off pictures of the irises which were produced. One cross in particular had created a wide variety of color combinations and patterns. I stressed that they had all come from the same seed pod. This finally drew a comment from one of the men.
"Just like kittens," he observed dryly.
I wrapped up my program and glanced at the wall clock. My original five-minute talk had effortlessly expanded to 90-minutes of lively discussion. If they were entertained at least half as much as I was, I’ll consider it a success.
Return to Page One of Romancing the Iris<<
Roberta McReynolds retired after an 18 year career in the commercial printing industry. She particularly enjoys activities involving children, the elderly, and cancer patients & survivors, who impart new perspectives on life. Gardening, art and volunteer service fill the hours and serve to fuel her life-long passion for writing. Rediscovering the world through the eyes of her inner child keeps her imagination fresh.
Roberta welcomes your comments: bertographer@charter.net
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