N. ORD.—IRIDACEA. 473 
GENUS. —IRIS,* LINN. 
SEX. SYST.—TRIANDRIA MONOGYNIA. 
IRIS VERSICOLOR. 
LARGER BLUE FLAG. 
SYN.—IRIS VERSICOLOR, L., IRIS AMERICANA VERSICOLOR, DILL. 
COM. NAMES.—BLUE FLAG, FLOWER-DE-LUCE, FLAG LILY, LIVER LILY; 
(FR.) GLAIEUL BLEU; (GER.) VERSCHIEDENFARBIGE SCHWERT- 
LILIE. 
TINCTURE OF THE FRESH ROOT OF IRIS VERSICOLOR, LINN, 
Description.—This beautiful perennial bog plant attains a height of from 2 to 
over 3 feet. ool fleshy, thickened, horizontally creeping, giving off from two to 
four lateral branches, the under surface especially about the annual joints is 
thickly beset with simple fibrous rootlets. The joints vary from 1 to 4 inches in 
length, are flattened upon the uppersurface, and from three-quarters to one and 
a quarter inches in breadth. The root is annulated by the scars of previous 
leaves. The séem is terete, angled on one side, rounded on the other, flexuous, 
simple or sometimes branched. Leaves sword-shaped, striate, erect, clasping at 
the base, one to one and one-half feet long, and one-half to one inch wide. FYow- 
ers 2 to 6 on each plant, spathacious, large and attractive, peduncles short, flat- 
tened on the inner side. Ca/ya tube funnel-form, prolonged more or less 
beyond the ovary, shorter than the three divisions (sefa/s) which are reflexed or 
spreading and destitute of beard or crest; the three inner divisions of the peri- 
anth ( fefa/s) are erect, and shorter than the sepals. S/amens 3, distinct, their 
anthers oblong-linear, hidden under the petaloid branches of the style. Ovary 
obtusely triangular with flattened sides, 3-celled, each containing numerous ana- . 
tropous ovules. /od/en grains large, much resembling date stones in form, 
Style mostly connate with the tube of the perianth, its three branches petal-like, 
crenate, and more or less reflexed at the tip, each branch bearing a true stigma 
as a thin lip or plate, on the under surface of its apex. ed leathery, 3 to 6 
angled, 3-valved. Seeds triangularly depressed-flattened. Zméryo straight in 
the hard fleshy albumen. Irtpace# is represented in gardens by the Crocus, 
Gladiolus and tiger-flower (Zigridia), and wild in the United States by J77s, 
Pardanthus and Sisyrinchium. 
* ‘Ips, rainbow deified, applied by the ancients on account of the 
bright and diversified colors in the blossoms of _ 
this genus. 
