Tas. 6428. 
IRIS picuotoma, 
Native of Eastern Siberia. 
Nat. Ord. Tripacex.—Tribe InmEx. 
Genus Iris, Linn.; (Baker in Journ. Linn. Soc., vol. xvi. p. 136.) 
Iris (Apogon) dichotoma ; rhizomate breviter reptante rosulis foliorum confertis, 
foliis laxe dispositis ensiformibus subpedalibus, caule 3-4-pedali valde 
ramoso, pedunculis ascendéntibus elongatis, floribus 4-6-nis purpureis ves- 
pertinis fugacibus, spathis brevibus valvis exterioribus oblongis viridulis 
firmulis, interioribus membranaceis, pedicellis spath4 squilongis, ovario 
clavato semipollicari, tubo supra ovarium nullo, segmentis exterioribus ob- 
lanceolato-spathulatis limbo falcato recurvato ungue variegato subduplo 
breviori, segmentis interioribus paulo brevioribus immaculatis emarginatis, 
styli ramis oblanceolato-oblongis, cristis lanceolatis, antheris filamento libero 
zequilongis. 
I. dichotoma, Linn. fil. Suppl., p. 97; Vahl. Enum. vol. ii. p. 236; Willd. Sp. 
Plant. vol. i. p. 230; Ker. in Bot. Reg. t. 246; Sweet Brit. Flow. Gard. 
t. 96, ete. 
I. pomeridiana, Fischer MSS. ; Klatt.in Linnea, vol. xxxiv. p. 612. 
Pardanthus dichotomus, Led. Fl. Ross. vol. iv. p, 106. 
_ This is a very distinct species of Iris, remarkable for its 
much branched habit, short spathes and fugacious, rather small 
bright purple flowers, which expand in the evening, one after 
another in the same cluster on successive days, after the fashion 
of Zigridia or Pardanthus. Tt is a native of the Eastern half 
of Siberia, and has long been known in cultivation, but it has 
always been very rare, and it has not yet appeared in the 
Boranican Magazine. The drawing was made from a plant 
that flowered at Kew last September, raised, I believe, 
originally from seeds sent by Dr. Hance. 
Descr. Rhizome short-creeping, with the tufts of leaves 
crowded upon it. Produced /eaves six or eight in a distichous 
tuft, the base of which exfends over the lowest half-foot of the 
stem, ensiform, pale green, the largest about a foot long and 
an inch broad. Mowering-stems three or four feet high, much 
more branched than in any other species of the genus. /Vowers 
four or six ina cluster, scentless, bright violet-purple. Spathe-, 
