﻿Stability 
  and 
  Real 
  Atavism 
  173 
  

  

  tendencies 
  of 
  the 
  pale 
  blue 
  flag 
  or 
  Iris 
  pallida. 
  

   The 
  flowers 
  of 
  the 
  blue 
  flags 
  have 
  a 
  perianth 
  

   of 
  six 
  segments 
  united 
  below 
  into 
  a 
  tube. 
  The 
  

   three 
  outer 
  parts 
  are 
  dilated 
  and 
  spreading, 
  or 
  

   reflexed, 
  while 
  the 
  three 
  inner 
  usually 
  stand 
  

   erect, 
  but 
  in 
  most 
  species 
  are 
  broad 
  and 
  colored 
  

   like 
  the 
  outer 
  ones. 
  Corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  outer 
  

   perianth-segments 
  are 
  the 
  three 
  stamens 
  and 
  

   the 
  three 
  petal-like 
  divisions 
  of 
  the 
  style, 
  each 
  

   bearing 
  a 
  transverse 
  stigma 
  immediately 
  above 
  

   the 
  anther. 
  They 
  are 
  pollinated 
  by 
  humble-bees, 
  

   and 
  in 
  some 
  instances 
  by 
  flies 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  

   Rhingia, 
  which 
  search 
  for 
  the 
  honey, 
  brush 
  the 
  

   pollen 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  anthers 
  and 
  afterwards 
  de- 
  

   posit 
  it 
  on 
  the 
  stigma. 
  According 
  to 
  systematic 
  

   views 
  of 
  the 
  monocotyledons 
  the 
  original 
  proto- 
  

   type 
  of 
  the 
  genus 
  Iris 
  must 
  have 
  had 
  a 
  whorl 
  of 
  

   six 
  equal, 
  or 
  nearly 
  equal 
  perianth-segments 
  

   and 
  six 
  stamens, 
  such 
  as 
  are 
  now 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  

   more 
  primitive 
  types 
  of 
  the 
  family 
  of 
  the 
  lilies, 
  

   as 
  for 
  instance 
  in 
  the 
  lilies 
  themselves, 
  the 
  

   tulips, 
  hyacinths 
  and 
  others. 
  As 
  to 
  the 
  

   perianth 
  this 
  view 
  is 
  supported 
  by 
  the 
  

   existence 
  of 
  one 
  species, 
  the 
  Iris 
  falcifolia, 
  

   the 
  perianth 
  of 
  which 
  consists 
  of 
  six 
  equal 
  

   parts. 
  But 
  species 
  with 
  six 
  stamens 
  are 
  

   wholly 
  lacking. 
  Heinricher 
  however, 
  in 
  culti- 
  

   vating 
  some 
  anomalous 
  forms 
  of 
  Iris 
  pallida, 
  

   succeeded 
  in 
  filling 
  out 
  this 
  gap 
  and 
  in 
  produc- 
  

  

  