Keiko, I did indeed look for the Imperial Taro when I was at the Asian Supermarket, but did not find any there. It may not be the best time to try to find some, I don't know. Ah, an electric steamer - I yearn for one also. I must get one soon. I have to increase my veggie intake. I believe I actually could be a vegetarian (not a vegan), because I don't eat much meat anyway. But, the old blood pressure is starting to rise with the sun now, and I need to start watching my diet. Starches are definitely not good as they convert to sugars. But at least I can plant them. Rsieminski - for some reason, I got the impression that they get their supply from South America, but they actually sell them here in the states. I will have to check that out again. I would really like to have at least a couple of the species, e.g. brasiliense, as Michael has mentioned. If I have to pay those ungodly shipping rates, I think I will look elsewhere, thank you very much. Especially if they are just tiny little tubers. If I thought I was getting a hefty tuber, it might be a different story. I might have read something about the fact that the size of their tubers could vary substantially, but that doesn't tell me anything factually. A lot of room for messing around with my money there. I have some time to search around and check out other sources. Right now, I'm too scared to go check out my back yard. You would know this would be the year we have these ghastly, horrid, frigid temperatures in Oklahoma, after several mild winters. Ah, Oklahoma, how I hate it here. Wish I could move with my daughter to Columbia, SC. Doesn't get near as cold there, and I would feel much more secure with my lovelies in the ground (8b). Susan

lmao. I had that "what was I thinking?" feeling, too on some. Not because they weren't beautiful, but because all I can remember is how long I agonized over eliminating things, so I know the survivors won out over tough opponents and yet I'm not sure how. LOL My main "what was I thinking" plant was nervosa, and then I looked at my original list and I realized it made the cut purely based on the fact that its collection point was in Vietnam LOL. It's a pretty plant, but I can't even find pictures of its flowers online. I'm also not quite sure how IML 1420 made it on. I really like it b/c of its surprising velour backing, but there's no way I would have known that at the time, and there are plenty of Hoyas with more striking veins patterns. What I was surprised by: hypolasia: I was expecting long stiff leaves, I think. Wheras these leaves are not particularly long and really plushy velvety soft, very much like patella, except with a different shape. 1391 sp. IPPS8898: No idea why I selected this one in the first place, but this was undoubtedly the most wicked beautiful cutting in the group. This plant could bloom tiny brown cat turds and still be worth having. hellwigiana: This one is just a lot prettier than I expected. I think I anticipated something along the lines of pottsii, which IS a plant I like a lot, but what I got was more like if pottsii and fitchii got down and dirty in the back of a VW Bug. On an unrelated note, just b/c I had this post open as I hung up the phone, some crazy lady just accused me of not forwarding her messages because we're an American company and she's Canadian. wtf!

Tomas and Christina Tamberg live in Germany and have produced many beautiful irises and have their own website. I bought a water iris which was described as a 'Tamberg Hybrid' and according to Tomas Tamberg was probably a seedling obtained from him many years ago and never named or registered. He only sells wholesale now.

Just came across a reference to 'turkey iris' and thought you might be interested. From a review of Bulbs and Bulb Culture, Volume II (London, 1882) by David Taylor Fish, noted irisarien Clarence Mahan gives this comment: "I found it curious that Fish calls Iris pallida the "pale Turkey iris," until I remembered that the Ottoman Empire of the Turks included the regions of the former Yugoslavia where I. pallida is endemic. When I looked in the 1939 Check List, I found that it even gives "Pale Turkey Iris" as a synonym for I. pallida." I found this in an article in ROOTS, the bullietin of HIPS from 199. Could your seeds be from a bearded iris? Mike