Luminatas

How many luminatas are in the trade these days? There's that group of TBs by Keppel, and one SDB ("Denali"); what others? There's something about them that pulls me in.
--Dawn

I just found that Argyle Acres lets you select by category "luminata", so I'm happily running down their list. Still interested in hearing about others!

there my favorite

Tazzy breeds luminatas. A couple of her babies are in my garden.

Here is an old beauty I got from a DGer--no name--just pure beauty.

The luminatas are my favorite historics. I love the contrast of the deep petals and brilliant center on my Alcazar.

Ok, pardon my ignorance, but what is a luminata? and how is it different from other iris? :)

Diann

Beautiful glowing light in the center of the iris--see Margie's definition :
http://davesgarden.com/terms/go/2683/

Wanda,

'Alcazar' does not fit the description of a luminata. According to The World of Irises, a luminata is described as, "In luminatas the pigment [in specific reference to anthocyanin pigments - blues and lavenders] is in the center of the petal with the edges often unpigmented; the hafts and style arms are unpigmented or essentially so. The pigmentation of the petal is usually not uniform, but marbled, being lighter or absent over the veins, as exemplified by Moonlit Sea."

And on page 101 of the same book, describing the first known luminatas, "In 1940 and 1941 the Sass seedling fields began to yield a strange new pattern, one with style arms white or yellow, hafts immaculate white or yellow, but the remainder of the flower washed with color, with paler veins."

Luminatas by definition can not have dark haft markings like 'Alcazar' displays. 'Pretty Pansy' pictured below is one of the earliest introduced luminatas.

Laurie

oops. i stand corrected. thank you Laurie.

Ok, thanks.:)

diann

Here is "Fancy Dress". It's a lovely iris although mine tend to be short. Other people havn't had that problem with them though.

The advancement of Luminatas:

It is true that the earliest luminatas were ones "with style arms white or yellow, hafts immaculate white or yellow, but the remainder of the flower washed with color, with paler veins."

But since then the color range of luminatas have advanced. And marvelous new luminatas are now available. These newer varieties (still holds true where there are no plicata markings are visible around the immediate beard) have now advanced into a yellow orange, and peach colors.

Stage Lights is a newer Joe Ghio Luminata introduction. And a real plus - - as it's a vigorous grower. Here is a photo:

~ Margie

Another Luminata beauty ( a 2005 Lowell Baumunk's intro) - - ELIZABETHAN AGE - - of which I haven't a personal photo of yet, is even more dramatic with it's deeper peach coloration. See link:

~ Margie

http://www.iriscolorado.com/1999-2003%20Introductions.htm

Click on ELIZABETHAN AGE for a large photo display.

What also remains true - - is that the veining and edging on the falls are the same lighter color as the background (and color present around the beard - - whether it be white, cream, yellow, yellow orange, orangy-peach. One of my favorites for dramatic color is still Entangled, which has more of a yellow-orange pattern. It is a pretty decent grower too. It also gets nice and tall for me.

~ Margie

ENTANGLED

Shine On Thru has a lot more color wash on the falls - yet very visible is the lighter veining and rims. A lot of color present in this one and yet it still seems to be "lit from within".

~ Margie

SHINE ON THRU

Tazzy - - that is so cool that you are breeding Luminatas. How long have you been doing that? How many seedling varieties do you have that are luminatas? If you have any photos of them - - I'd really love to see them!

I'm trying my hands at that too - but am still in the early stages. I've been out-crossing to more vigorous non-luminata irises first than back-crossing and sib-crossing. I know that is the long way of doing that - - but I really want to see some new blood and new colors in the luminata lines.

~ Margie

Amoena Luminata

There also exists one or more Amoena Luminatas. Take a look at this 2005 Vincent Christopherson introduction.................named Invitation Only. I haven't a photo - but here is a link to see that one.

http://toolsbydesign.com/vciris/listing_detail.asp?id=104&cat_id=22

~ Margie

Also - - in 2005 Vincent Christopherson intoduced the first space age veriagata luminata with horns! Make A Wish

Ah yes...................... the advancement of luminatas is here!!!

Here is a link to that photo:
http://toolsbydesign.com/vciris/listing_detail.asp?id=36&cat_id=22

~ Margie

Another Space Age horned iris - a Christopherson seedling................ Once Apon A Time. Look at those colors! I wish his photos were a bit larger, but you still get the picture. ;-)

Here is link to that seedling photo:
http://toolsbydesign.com/vciris/listing_detail.asp?id=119&cat_id=8

~ margie

I love 'Invitation Only', Margie. I'm crazy about lumiatas AND amoenas, so this one seems to have it all!

I'm like you in a way Laura - - anything luminata - - I feel like I must own!!! LOL I don't own them all you understand - - I just wish I did!! :-)

~ Margie

marge--I thought you DID own them all! You make the rest of us envious with your pictures!

Thanks so much. These pictures are gorgeous. Go luminata breeders!

Any medians in the category, besides Denali and Ice Etchings?

I always learn so much from y'all. Tazzy had class last year and I learned a bunch fro her, too. I did not know about Luminatas, but now that I know, y'all may have created a monster... "I must get me some of them" ...lol...

They are all beautiful...