310 Prof. Dow's Descriptions of the Indian Species of Iris. 
group, which is principally confined to Asia and America, is distinguished by 
having the spathes frequently leafy, a tube continuous with the ovarium, and 
often very short; by their beardless sepals; and by the petals being smaller 
and spreading. The species of this group produce their flowers generally later 
in the season ; a circumstance which, together with their being chiefly inha- 
bitants of a drier climate, renders the protection of the petals less necessary. 
Our own Flora affords two examples of this section in Iris fwtidissima and 
Pseudacorus. The very early period of flowering of the Iris f'etidissima may 
be supposed to afford a strong objection to the theory as to the use of the con- 
vergent petals in the first group of the genus; but the plant is well known to 
occur only in sheltered situations, where a considerable degree of protection 
is afforded to the flowers. Of the five Indian species, which I shall now pro- 
ceed to describe, two belong to the first group, and three to the second. 
Sect. 1. Eurris. 
Perianthii tubus distinctus, subinfundibuliformis. . Sepala recurvata, barbata. 
Petala maxima, invicem apice incumbenti conniventia. Spathæ persæpè 
scarioso-membranacee, 
1. I. nepalensis, barbata; scapo tereti levi plurifloro foliis ensiformibus ple- 
rumque longiore, spathis vix foliaceis subaequalibus, sepalis omnibus emar- 
ginatis, ovario obtuse trigono perianthii tubi infundibuliformis vix longi- 
tudine. 
Iris nepalensis. Wall.Cat.n.5050. Lindl. in Bot. Reg. l. 818. Royle Ill. t. 90. 
252. 
I. japonica. Thunb. in Linn. Trans. 2. p. 327? 
I. squalens. Ejusd. Fl. Japon. p.33? 
6. scapo indiviso subbifloro foliis breviore. 
Habitat in Nepalize montibus (Wallich); in Emodi montibus Bychuky Ghaut 
inter Pabur et Tonse, et in Surkunda ad Vicum Bhala Gau. Royle. X. 
(v. s. sp. in Herbb. Wall. et Royle.) 
Rhizoma oblongum, teres, crassum, ramosum, repens, 
Jlorentinæ. Scapus erectus, teres, leevis, subflexuosu 
pedalis v. sesquipedalis. 
odore gratissimo Zridis 
8, fistulosus, 2—5-florus, 
Folia ensiformia, acuminata, nervosa, subfal- 
