times dull violet, rarely yellowish.” The original J. rubro- 
marginata had uniformly lurid purple flowers; the J. 
Straussii of the ‘‘ Revue Horticole ” had brownish and violet 
flowers. In a drawing made at Kew in 1901 of one of the 
plants of J. Strausszi communicated by Mr. Leichtlin the 
flowers are brownish-violet, the standards being of a clearer 
and deeper colour ; the falls and the standards are brownish 
at the base with just the mottling shown in the yellow form 
from Mersina now figured. The veining of the claws of 
the falls and the colouring of the beard also agree, except 
that the tips of the hairs of the latter are of a deeper blue. 
The original 7. mellita was first collected by Janka in 1871 
on dry grassy slopes on T'schiendem Tepe near Philippople 
in Bulgaria; it has since then been frequently met with 
throughout southern Bulgaria. The original J. rubro- 
marginata was described from specimens collected near 
Scutari by Mr. W. Barbey of Geneva, but it has since been 
sent to Europe from Smyrna. The plants at Kew received 
and grown under the name J. Straussii thrive satisfactorily 
in well-drained loamy soil in a border on the south side of 
a warm building, where they flower annually but do not 
ripen seeds. 
Descriprion.—Herb, rootstock as thick as the index- 
finger or less. Leaves densely tufted, ensiform and more 
or less falcate, at flowering time up to 24 in. long, over 
3 in. wide, later on elongated, green, smooth, with about 
6 slender primary veins on each side. Stem very short or 
at. times up to 44 in. long, usually 2-flowered, sometimes 
1- or 3-flowered. Spathes herbaceous, remaining green for 
a considerable time, oblong-lanceolate, acuminate, somewhat 
swollen, keeled, diverging and displaying the perianth-tube ; 
the larger up to 23 in. long. Pedicel very short. Perianth 
with a greenish tube blotched with red upwards, 13-13 in. 
long, occasionally longer and exceeding the spathes ; outer 
segments with a deflexed, obovate-oblong, slightly emar- 
ginate limb appressed to the tube, 14-13 in. long, 3—-$ in. 
wide, lurid purple or yellow, with distinct longitudinal veins 
reddish towards the base; beard bluish-white; claw 1-1} 
in. long, wide cuneate, faintly red-veined ; inner segments 
erect, wide oblong, suddenly contracted into a red-blotched 
claw, blade 2}-24 in. long, 1} in. wide, lurid purple or 
