American Iris Society

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The American Iris Society (AIS, founded 1920) is an organization dedicated to sharing information about and sponsoring research on the iris, a temperate zone plant that is often cultivated for its showy flowers. A major goal in its early years was to bring order to the then-confused nomenclature of the genus Iris, especially garden iris species and cultivars. [1] Its members comprise horticulturists, botanists, gardeners, plant breeders, and nursery owners. [2]

Contents

History

The founding of the AIS was prompted by the growing popularity of irises as garden plants in America, spurred in part by an award-winning exhibit of iris cultivars at the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, in part by William Rickatson Dykes' landmark 1913 book The Genus Iris, and in part by a small flood of articles in popular magazines like Country Life. [1]

The AIS was founded in January 1920, at a meeting hosted by the New York Botanical Garden (NYBG). [2] Organizing efforts were led by horticulturist John Caspar Wister (first AIS president); James Boyd, president of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, who chaired the founding meeting; A. C. Beal, head of the NYBG's Department of Horticulture; iris breeder siblings Grace Sturtevant and Robert Sturtevant (first secretary of the AIS); horticulturist Louisa Boyd Yeomans King of the Garden Club of America; horticulturist Ethel Anson Peckham, who managed the Bronx Park Iris Trial Gardens; garden book author Louise Beebe Wilder; Mary Helen Wingate Lloyd, creator of an "iris bowl" garden in Pennsylvania; and others. [1] Several founding members came from the world of peony fanciers, including Lee R. Bonnewitz, a nurseryman and president of the American Peony Society; W. F. Christman, secretary of the Northwestern Peony and Iris Society; and chemistry professor A.P. Saunders, who edited the bulletin of the peony society. [1]

The AIS was organized as a consortium of six regional subgroups, and it incorporated in 1927. [2] There are now 22 regions covering the United States and Canada. It publishes a regular newsletter, Irises: The Bulletin of the American Iris Society.

Even before the AIS was founded, Wister started compiling a checklist of iris cultivars as the first step in efforts to reduce confusion around iris nomenclature. The AIS also established a registry to track cultivars. In 1922 and 1923, issues of the bulletin carried successive version of the AIS's preliminary checklist. Two large checklists were published as books in 1929 and 1939 under the title of the American Iris Society Alphabetical Iris Checklist. The first of these included some 12,000 names of species, cultivars, and their synonyms, while the 1939 book embraced 19,000 names. Ever since, the AIS has published a compilation of new registrations once a decade. In large part because of its sustained efforts at resolving nomenclature issues, the AIS became, in 1995, the official International Cultivar Registration Authority for all non-bulbous cultivars of the genus. [3]

AIS Foundation

In 1971, an American Iris Society Foundation was established to foster research to improve the genus, to stimulate interest in the plant, and to sponsor publications about irises. The first project supported by the foundation was a revised edition of an AIS book, Garden Irises (issued in 1979 as The World of Irises). [4]

Awards

The AIS gives out various annual awards for different categories of iris types and species, including the Dykes Memorial Medal (its highest honor); the John C. Wister Medal; the Williamson-White Medal, and some dozen others. [5]

The New York Botanical Garden holds an archive of records relating to the founding of the AIS. [2]

Related Research Articles

<i>Iris</i> (plant) genus of flowering plants in the family Iridaceae

Iris is a genus of 260–300 species of flowering plants with showy flowers. It takes its name from the Greek word for a rainbow, which is also the name for the Greek goddess of the rainbow, Iris. Some authors state that the name refers to the wide variety of flower colors found among the many species. As well as being the scientific name, iris is also widely used as a common name for all Iris species, as well as some belonging to other closely related genera. A common name for some species is 'flags', while the plants of the subgenus Scorpiris are widely known as 'junos', particularly in horticulture. It is a popular garden flower.

Cultivar Plant or grouping of plants selected for desirable characteristics

A cultivar is a type of plant that people have bred for desired traits, which are reproduced in each new generation by a method such as grafting, tissue culture or carefully controlled seed production. Most cultivars arise from purposeful human manipulation, but some originate from wild plants that have distinctive characteristics. Cultivar names are chosen according to rules of the International Code of Nomenclature for Cultivated Plants (ICNCP), and not all cultivated plants qualify as cultivars. Horticulturists generally believe the word cultivar was coined as a term which means "cultivated variety".

Daylily Genus of flowering plants

A daylily or day lily is a flowering plant in the genus Hemerocallis, a member of the family Asphodelaceae, subfamily Hemerocallidoideae. Despite the common name, it is not in fact a lily. Gardening enthusiasts and horticulturists have long bred daylily species for their attractive flowers. Thousands of cultivars have been registered by local and international Hemerocallis societies.

New York Botanical Garden Botanical garden in the Bronx, New York

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) is a botanical garden at Bronx Park in the Bronx, New York City. Established in 1891, it is located on a 250-acre (100 ha) site that contains a landscape with over one million living plants; the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, a greenhouse containing several habitats; and the LuEsther T. Mertz Library, which contains one of the world's largest collections of botany-related texts. As of 2016, over a million people visit the New York Botanical Garden annually.

Peony Genus of flowering plants in the family Ranunculaceae

The peony or paeony is a flowering plant in the genus Paeonia, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. Peonies are native to Asia, Europe and Western North America. Scientists differ on the number of species that can be distinguished, ranging from 25 to 40, although the current consensus is 33 known species. The relationships between the species need to be further clarified.

The Mizzou Botanic Garden contains thousands of plants within the campus of the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri, United States. The Garden includes famous icons, such as Thomas Jefferson's original grave marker and the Columns of Academic Hall, and is open year-round, only asking for a small donation to visit.

<i>Symphyotrichum lateriflorum</i> Species of flowering plant in the family Asteraceae native to central and eastern North America

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum is a species of flowering plant in the aster family (Asteraceae). Commonly known as calico aster, starved aster, and white woodland aster, it is native to eastern and central North America. It is a perennial and herbaceous plant that may reach heights up to 120 centimeters and widths up to 30 cm (1 ft).

Cultivated plant taxonomy

Cultivated plant taxonomy is the study of the theory and practice of the science that identifies, describes, classifies, and names cultigens—those plants whose origin or selection is primarily due to intentional human activity. Cultivated plant taxonomists do, however, work with all kinds of plants in cultivation.

John Caspar Wister was one of the United States' most highly honored horticulturists.

Elizabeth Gertrude Britton American botanist

Elizabeth Gertrude Britton was an American botanist, bryologist, and educator. She and her husband, Nathaniel Lord Britton played a significant role in the fundraising and creation of the New York Botanical Garden. She was a co-founder of the predecessor to the American Bryological and Lichenological Society. She was an activist for protection of wildflowers, inspiring local chapter activities and the passage of legislation. Elizabeth Britton made major contributions to the literature of mosses, publishing 170 papers in that field.

John Hendley Barnhart was an American botanist and author, specializing in biographies of botanists.

James Marion Shull (1872–1948) was an American botanist known for his iris and daylily cultivars and botanical illustrations.

William Rickatson Dykes was an English amateur botanist who became an expert in the field of iris breeding and wrote several influential books on the subject. He was also interested in tulips, amaryllis, and other plants.

Lowell Fitz Randolph

Lowell Fitz Randolph was an American scientist, in the field of genetics, botany and horticulture. He was a Cornell University graduate who became Professor of Botany and was also employed as an associate cytologist for the United States Department of Agriculture. He was also an avid iris collector and wrote a book on the Iris genus. He carried out important research into plant chromosomes of iris, orchid genus and corn plants. He was sometimes known as "Fitz" by his many friends and associates.

Grace Sturtevant Early 20th century iris breeder

Grace Sturtevant (1865–1947) was an early 20th century iris breeder who has been called "America's first lady of iris". She was a founding member of the American Iris Society.

Ethel Anson (Steel) Peckham (1879–1965) was an American horticulturist and botanical artist who bred plants that grow from bulbs and rhizomes such as iris and daffodil. She was a founding member and early director of the American Iris Society (AIS), editor of its first major checklists, and author of its iris-judging rules. She bred iris herself and is credited with helping to introduce a new class, the miniature tall bearded iris. She is one of only a dozen people to have received the AIS Gold Medal, the society's highest honor, and she was also awarded the Gold Medal of the British Iris Society for her paintings of iris.

Mary Helen Wingate Lloyd (1868–1934) was an American horticulturist who was a founding member of the American Iris Society and creator of a celebrated "iris bowl" garden.

Arthur John "A.J." Bliss (1862–1931) was a British iris breeder who is credited with greatly improving the genetics of many modern strains, especially those descending from his Dominion cultivar.

Robert Sturtevant (1892–1955) was an American landscape architect and iris breeder. He taught for many years at the Lowthorpe School of Landscape Architecture, and he helped to found the American Iris Society.

Sir Frederick Claude Stern was a botanist and horticulturalist, known for developing the gardens at Highdown, for creating several cultivars of garden plants and for his publications on peonies, snowdrops and gardening. He also tried to promote the interests of the Jewish community.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Whitehead, Anner M. "Founding of the AIS: A New York Story". American Iris Society website. Accessed Dec. 20, 2015.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Records of the American Iris Society (RA)". Mertz Library, New York Botanical Garden website, 2005. Accessed Dec. 20, 2015.
  3. ↑ Whitehead, Anner M. "The Origins of the American Iris Society Check Lists". American Iris Society website. Accessed Dec. 20, 2015.
  4. ↑ "F.A.Q." AIS Foundation website. Accessed Dec. 20, 2015.
  5. ↑ "AIS Awards". American Iris Society website. Accessed May 24, 2020.
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