2019 Randolph-Perry Medal

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Randolph-Perry Medal 2018

‘China In Springtime’

 'China In Springtime'--image by Breezeway Iris Garden

'China In Springtime' (O. David Niswonger, R. 2007). Sdlg. Sib. 3-06. SPEC-X, 42" (107 cm). Early bloom. Standards light blue; style arms blue; Falls darker blue; blue bitone. Sib. 6-99: ('Out in Missourri' x I. typhifolia) X unknown. Cape Iris 2008. Award of Merit 2015.

This medal is restricted to interspecies irises (SPEC-X). It is named in honor of Dr. L. F. Randolph (1894-1980) and Amos Perry (1871-1953).

Dr. L. F. Randolph, or "Fitz" as he was affectionately called by his many friends and associates, Dr. Randolph was chairman of the AIS Scientific Committee from 1945 to 1956. The work he and his students Jyotirmay Mitra and Katherine Heinig did on iris chromosomes produced many published monographs and provide the basis of our scientific understanding of the genus. He conducted a number of extensive iris species collection expeditions and brought back new species and many new forms of other iris species, especially of I pumila.

Amos Perry was born into a family of English nurserymen. Perry was one of the first hybridizers to use the tetraploid irises 'Amas,' I trojana, I. mesopotamica and I cypriana. He introduced scores of new bearded cultivars, but he was more interested in Siberian irises and iris species. He probably created more new hybrid interspecies irises than any other iris breeder. His new hybrid irises often had names that indicated their species parentage, such as 'Chrysogana' (I. chrysographes x I. bulleyana); 'Tebract' (I tenax x I. bracteata); 'Longsib' (I. longipetala x I. siberica); and 'Chrysowigi' (I. chrysographes x I hartwegi.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

2019 Founders of SIGNA Medal

The American Iris Society

Announces

The Founders of SIGNA Medal

'Lakeside Ghost'

This medal is restricted to species irises (SPEC) and is named to honor the founding members of the Species Iris Group of North American (SIGNA).

'Lakeside Ghost'--image by Chad Harris

'Lakeside Ghost' ( Chad Harris, R. 2011) Seedling #07LAK3. SPEC (I. laevigata), 37 (94 cm). Midseason bloom. Style arms smoky red-violet (RHS 83C), crests pale blue-violet (92C); falls (6) pale blue-violet randomly speckled dark blue-violet (93B) giving smoky blue-violet effect. Parentage unknown, seed from SIGNA 04 Shimizu. Aitken's Salmon Creek 2012. Honorable Mention 2015, Award of Merit 2017.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

2019 Mohr Medal

The American Iris Society

Announces

The 2019 William A. Mohr Medal

‘Desert Snow’

'Desert Snow'--image by Paul Black

'Desert Snow' ( Paul Black, R. 2013) AB, OGB-. Seedling R159B. AB (OGB-), 25" (64 cm), Midseason to late bloom. Standards and style arms ice-white; Falls same, 1" blue-black aril signal; beard hairs based white, tips light yellow. 'Lancer' X 'Open Your Eyes'. Mid-America 2013. Honorable Mention 2015. Walther Cup 2015, Award of Merit 2017.

This medal is restricted to irises of one-quarter or more aril content that do not meet the more restrictive requirements of the Clarence G. White Medal.

It is named in honor of William A. Mohr (1871-1923). About ten years before his death, Mohr began working with irises. He obtained the tetraploid Asiatic species, as well as regelia and oncocyclus irises, and communicated with other iris hybridizers such as Ellen Sturtevant and Samuel Stillman Berry. The two greatest achievements of William Mohr's hybridizing programs are probably his plicatas and his innovative and beautiful arilbreds. His great plicatas are `Los Angeles' and the iris that won the first American Dykes Medal, `San Francisco.' Mohr's most important arilbred iris is the magnificent `William Mohr.'

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.

2019 CG White Medal

The American Iris Society

Announces

THE CLARENCE G. WHITE MEDAL

'Dubai'

'Dubai'--image by Paul Black

'Dubai' ( Thomas Johnson, R. 2013) AB, OGB. Seedling TC229A. AB (OGB+), 33 (84 cm), Early to midseason bloom. Standards and style arms light lilac-purple; Falls light strawberry-rose, large red-black signal; beards yellow-orange; slight fragrance. 'Lancer' x 'Energizer'. Mid-America 2013. Honorable Mention 2015. Award of Merit 2017.

Since 1993, the Clarence G. White memorial medal has been awarded to the best arilbred iris with 1/2 or more aril ancestry. When Clarence G. White began his work with aril irises, little was known about the complexity of iris genetics. White assembled the largest collection of aril irises in the world, and conducted thousands of breeding experiments to obtain viable, fertile seedlings. One of his goals was to develop strong, pure Oncocylus hybrids.

The World of Irises blog will be posting once a day all of the medal winners. The entire list of winners can be found at the AIS website, the AIS Encyclopedia and later in the AIS Bulletin, IRISES.