42 MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 
AN AFRICAN REPRESENTATIVE OF THE IRIS 
FAMILY 
An interesting member of the iris family that blooms occa- 
sionally at the Garden throughout the year is Moraea 
tridwoides. This plant which has been established in the trop- 
ical fruit house since 1913 would be found within the iris 
garden except for the fact that it is not hardy. The genus 
Moraea differs from the true iris in that the perianth tube 
is absent, the six segments of the perianth being attached 
to the top of the ovary and falling separately like the petals 
of a rose (plate 9). There are also other minor differences. 
The plant grows from two to three feet high, and has nar- 
row, strap-shaped leaves forming a large clump. The perianth 
segments are white, with the beard and portion immediately 
above it an orange-yellow, and the style branches a delicate 
lavender shade. Were it not for the poor keeping quality of 
the flower (individual blossoms lasting only a few hours, or a 
day at the most) the plant would probably be more widely 
grown. 
According to Curtis’ ‘‘ Botanical Magazine,’’ Moraea iri- 
dioides was discovered by Thunberg in the interior of the Cape 
country, growing in the woods not far from the Sea Cow 
River. It was first cultivated in 1758, the seeds having been 
sent from the Cape under the title of ‘‘ white water lily.’’ In 
1804 the plant was pictured and described in Volume 19 of 
Curtis’ ‘‘ Botanical Magazine.’’ 
NOTES 
Mr. L. P. Jensen, arboriculturist to the Garden, gave an 
illustrated lecture before the Women’s Club of Litchfield, Illi- 
nois, March 26, on ‘‘The Beautification of Home Grounds.’’ 
Dr. Edgar Anderson, in charge of School for Gardening, 
conducted the members of the ‘‘Be Square’’ class of the Pil- 
grim Congregational Church on a field trip to Jefferson 
County, April 22. 
On April 21 the Garden was visited by the senior class in 
city planning and landscape architecture of the University of 
Illinois, and were shown around the buildings and grounds 
by Mr. John Noyes, landscape designer to the Garden. 
