356 IXTACEAE 
indicated ae its aon steals and its capsule this iris falls in a group of its own 
within our range. 
I. versicolor L. Flower-stalk erect, 3-6 dm. be often slightly zigzag: 
ae p fragrant: hypanthium gno ing the ovary obtusely 3-angled: 
sepals 4—6 cm. long, recurved- bids ading, the claw suffused with yellowish-green, 
the blade A to suborbicular, of a violet or purple ground-color, except the 
Ae p dace blotch at the ae e and surrounding whitish zone: petals very 
uch shorter than the E with a short yellowish- io claw and a violet or 
purple blade s Do cylindric, or ellipsoid in small specimens, mostly 
3.5-5.5 em. long, somewhat i ided.—Marshes, swamps, undo and stream- 
banks, var ious dem en Ga. to Miss., Man., Ónt. and Newf.— — Spr —sum.—-Ap- 
parently the most widespre a of our species, the an northern plant usually 
referred here, however, may represent a distinct species 
93. I. Shrevei Small. Flower-stalk erect, up to 1 m. tall, ns pone 
fragrant: hypanthium covering the ovary bluntly 3-angled: sepal em 
long, ea -spreading, the claw suffused with greenish-yellow, the i oval 
orbicular-oval, of a violet or purple ground-color, except the yellow-green 
p S 
) La., Okla. : : 
color in the Mississippi Valley. E perianth indicates relationship to I. vir- 
ginica, while its fruit resembles that of I. versicolor, although relatively much 
longer. A form with rose-lilae o has been found in Autauga Co., Ala 
94. I. virginica L. Flower-stalk 3-6 dm. tall, n bes Terak zigzag: 
flowers slightly fragrant: hypanthium covering t ary bluntly 3-angled: 
sepals 6-7.5 em. long, recurved-spreading, the i suffused with yellowish- 
green or bronze, the blade obovate to elliptic or oval, mainly of a light-violet 
nde wW - 
to lavender or whitish ground-color, wit w or orange-yellow blotch at 
the base: petals spatulate, somewhat shorter than the sepals, with a yellowish- 
green or bronze cla an obovate blade with the ground-color of the sepal 
lade: capsule ellipsoid to ovoid-ellips 4—7 c ng, somewhat 3-angled 
[I. carolina R arolini S. I. georgiana Britton |—Swamps, 
marshes, meadows, and river-shores, Coastal Plain a provinees, 
to Tex., and Del.—Spr.—This species has recently been considered to represent 
the Linnaean 7I. virginica, but specimens growing at Glou pid Va., where the 
original specimens of I. virginica may have been collected, seem to represent 
I. versicolor. This species replaces I. versicolor, in the eae ds Coastal 
Plain, and is the most widely distributed iris there. The capsule resembles that 
of the Old World I. Pseudacorus when it does dehisce, in ne recurving valves 
with shiny ud coat. ‘There is greater variation in color n I. carolina than 
in any of our species. The perianth shows shades varying reta dark-violet to 
pale- pinkish, ona a pure white albino has been found in Florida. 
- I. tripetala Walt. Flower-stalk 2-4 dm. tall, rigid, rp, often slightly 
zag: agi usually qoe in the terminal involuere an additional one 
SO ee De n the axil of the narrow red fragrant: hypan m surrounding 
the Moin bluntly 3. angled: Rd als 6-9 em. long, recurved-spreading or droop- 
ing, the elaw margined with violet and pun in the middle, the blade subor- 
bieular or oval, with a violet ground-color, or white, except the yellow bloteh 
at the base: petals involute, much shorter than the claw of the sepal, acute 
vi ov .0-9.5 em. 
—Like I. 
by itself in our range. It, too, is slender throughout, and the cord-like ro 
stocks are peculiar. The plants from the gulf coast have larger flowers and 
