woh 
j}. Iris (Tourn.) L. Purple Flag. 
—Persant@ herbs with aed 
ls tems[ terete. Leaves erect, 2-ranked, flattened and blade-like, 
Chiefly basal. Flowers showy, the perianth Segments clawed, united to form 
a@ tube at the base, the outer segments broad, reflexed, the inner narrower, 
erect, both highly colored. Stamens 3, adnate at the base to the outer per- 
ianth Segments « Gramy-fmchambereg style branches petaloid, arching over and 
partially concealing the stamens, the tip usually forked or 2-lobed. Capsule 
oblong or oval, 3-6~lobed} seeds vertically compressed in 1 or 2 rows in 
each cavity. 
1. I. missouriensis Nutt. pootstocks stout, matted, forming tufts 
and colonies; stems slender 30-50 cm. tall; leaves subequal to or shorter 
than the stems, 10-12 mm. wide or less, acute; flowers 1-3 on each stem, sub- 
tended by two subequal dilated bracts 4-8 cm. long; pedicels 1.5-6 cm. long; 
outer perianth segments white, strongly veined with purple, often brownish 
along the median line, rather widely spreading, 5-9 cm. long, 1.5-2.5 cm. 
broad, the inner segments erect, purple, 4-8 cm. long, 8-12 m. wide, the 
Style branches somewhat Shorter, paler; stamens 2.5 cm. long; capsule Oblong, 
5-5 Cme long, 10-15 mm. in diameter; seeds 4 mn. in diameter. 
Frequent in the grasslands near Moscow and south, extend ing oceasionally 
as far east as Bovill: white flowered forms sometimes occur. Saal 
> Worley, Ste aepmeeeee; loscow -hendeveommntp bin; Viola, Gpiimgdp 
