I'm guessing what they are growing is Jungle Shadows. It is a wonderful old variety and the color is totally unique. My camera is making it a bit too red/pink in tone - it is a smokey brown-grey-purple blend. Looks best in part shade where the shadows make it's colors deeper.
Mike, I think Jungle Shadows is in fact the "Jungle Fever" I saw at the local iris place. Thanks for ID'ing it for me! And although the one I saw was in a full-sun field, it was shaded a bit by taller plants and grasses. So as you pointed out, the colors did indeed have a smokey brown/grey/purple look, but one I'd perceived as brown/grey/blue.
The nursery owner highly disliked it, although she and I apparently both like what many would consider strange-colored irises. My husband didn't like the iris either. He was quite blunt and told me he thought it was ugly. But then he pointed out I was going to go ahead and get what I wanted anyway, despite what he thought. True, so true....
I've found a few online sources. Of course, if I pay $10 at the local place, it'll be that + sales tax. If I pay the $4.00 or $5.00 I've found online, I'll have to add a whole bunch to the order to justify the shipping cost.
So....does anyone have any other smokey-colored irises to show? I really like odd colors....what the nursery owner described as "magnificent uglies."
I'm a plant nut. To my eyes, they're all beautiful. 