228 Sir J. E. Surru’s Observations on Iris susiana of Linneus, 
colouring gives but an inadequate idea of. the solemn magnifi- 
cence of the original. It is moreover the plant of the Linnzan 
herbarium, and the only kind I have ever seen in our gardens. 
The other is Tris susiana latifolia minor, Swert. Floril. t. 89, El 
This may be the Iris susiana of Redouté’s Liliacées, t. 18, which is 
there drawn much smaller, as well as of a darker colour, than 
Curtis's plant. There is however an essential difference, if it be 
faithfully represented, in the plant figured by Swertius ; its de- 
pendent petals being deeply lobed, which Redouté does not 
express, and which, if it be true, affords a specific distinction no 
less certain than extraordinary. It is much to be wished that 
this point could be ascertained by living specimens from France 
or from Turkey, or perhaps from some recluse old country garden 
in England. | / 
But the matter which chiefly leads me to bring this Iris under 
your notice at present is its name, and reputed native country. 
Clusius, who first mentions the plant and justly celebrates it as 
the finest of its genus, relates, that being at Vienna in 1573, he 
received a root of this Iris from the Imperial Ambassador, then 
just returned from Constantinople, who sent others of the same 
species to his friends in Holland. These were brought from 
Constantinople under the name of Alaja Susani, and A laga Susam, 
with an Italian inscription signifying that * the flower was ele- 
gantly pencilled with black and white, and had a good smell.” 
* Hence,” says Clusius, * as the name seems to indicate that it 
was brought from Susa, the capital of Susiana, to the gardens 
near Constantinople, on the other side the Bosphorus, I have 
called it Iris Susiana.” This Curtis repeats, and Redouté thinks 
it necessary to inform his countrymen that * it does not derive 
its name from Susa in Italy." 
Now I cannot help presuming that this conjecture of Clusius 
is 
