Amas
[V] What's This?

Sir Michael Foster, collected 1885
Iris Class:
Bearded
Bearded Class:
Tall Bearded
Age:
Before 1900
Fall Color:
Purple
Standard Color:
Purple
Pattern:
Neglecta
Beard Color:
Lemon/Light Yellow
Hybridizer:
Foster M
Rarity:
Common Garden Variety

Full Description

TB 25″ E B3M

From Biltmore Nursery catalog for 1912: “Deep violet standards and sky-blue falls give glorious harmony in this giant-flowering variety, which originated in Asia Minor and which has won admiration wherever it has become known. It reaches a height of 2 feet, and flowers profusely.”

From N.A. Hallauer’s Select List for 1918: “(Syn. Macrantha)nbsp; A giant-flowered form from Asia Minor. S. rich blue; F. violet. 2nbsp;ft.” From The Wing Seed Co. catalog for 1920: “(Syn. Macrantha) (Ger.) A beautiful form from Asia Minor. Enormous flower of distinct form and rich coloring. S. very large and spreading, glistening deep violet, veined at base. F. bright violet, transparent, very full; beard long, bright yellow. Two feet.”

From Cornell Extension Bulletin 112, 1925: “(Native of Amasia, northern Asia Minor. [Modern day Turkey] Collected by Foster, 1885). Color effect blue-violet bicolor. S. light violet, reticulated olive brown on claw. F. hyacinth violet, with slight velvety sheen. The outer haft is lavender or ecru–drab, finely veined, waxy color along dense, projecting beard of bluish cast with yellow tipped hairs. A robust grower with compact, persistent green foliage. The floppy character of the standards is offset by their large size, conspicuous color, and early flowering. It is one of the so-called germanica varieties.”

From J.C. Nicholls Irises catalog for 1928: “S. blue, F. violet purple. A well branched, early Species from Asia Minor, having very large flowers. Standards are apt to flop in very hot sun.”

From Indian Spring Farms catalog for 1931: “Very large; two shades of violet. 2½ ft.”

Comment: “I am sending you also an unedited photo of my Amas, which is at least a third plant kept somewhere under this name. I suppose that my Amas (which I collected in [the] Balkans and determined according to Dykes description) is right, as it is identical with much later obtained samples labeled as macrantha, which should be synonymous.” – Milan Blazek, Czech Republic

Note: Amas was one of the first tetraploid Irises to be widely circulated, and as such it was one of the most significant Iris of its time, used extensively in early Iris breeding.