MONOGRAPH OP THE GENUS XIPHION. 11 



§§ Oynandiris (Parlatore). Segmenta interiora limbi erecta, exterioribus paullu- 

 lum breviora. Filainenta cum stiginatibus deorsum conuata. 

 Species sola Q. Q. SisyrincMum. 



§§§ Juno (Tratt.). Segmenta interiora limbi patula vel deflexa, exterioribus 2-3- 

 plo breviora et multoties angustiora. Filamenta libera. ( = Thelysia, Salisb. ; Suor- 

 piris, Spach ; Costia, Willk. ; Coresanihe, Klatt.) 

 Acaules. 



Perianthium saturate violaceum, limbo 2j-3-unciali, 



tubo 3-8 poll, lougo 10. X alatum. 



Perianthium ilavescens, limbo l|-2-unciali, tubo 2-3 



poll, longo 11. X. palcBstinum. 



Perianthium albidum, extus violaceo tinctum, limbo 



1^-2-unciali, tubo 3-5 poll, longo 12. X. persicum. 



Cauleseentes. 



Folia linearia, deorsum 5-6 lin. lata 13. X. caucasicum. 



Folia lorato-lanceolata, deorsum 12-15 lin. lata . . . 14. X. Aucheri. 



1. X.vulgare, Miller; bulbo ovoideo raembranaceo-tunicato, caulefirmo 

 flexuoso 1-2-pedali uni- vel raro bi-floro, foliis caulinis 4-6 distichis 

 falcatis angustissime linearibus, deorsum dorse semiteretibus, seorsum fili- 

 formibus, spathee valvis lanceolatis hand ventricosis ad basin limbi attiii- 

 gentibus, pedicello 1-3-unciali, perianthii tubo subnullo, limbo violaceo, 

 segraentis exterioribus 2-2|^-uncialibus intus flavo carinatis, lamina rotun- 

 data untrue pandiiriformi duplo breviore, segmentis iiiterioribus erectis et 

 stigmatibus (cum cristis) segmentis exterioribus subfequilongis. — X. vul- 

 gare, Mill. Diet. edit. 6; Parlat. Nuov. Gen. p. 45; Fl. Ital. vol. iii. 

 p. 307; Alefeld, Bot. Zeit. 1863. p. 297. X an giisti folium, Klatt, 

 Linnaea, vol. xxiv. p. 569. X veriim, Schrank. Iris Xiphimn, /8, L. Sp. 

 Plant, edit. 2. p. 58 ; /. Xiphimn, Ehrh. Beitr. vol. vii. p. 139 (ex parte) ; 

 Bot. Mag. t. 6S6 ; Kedoute, Lil. vol. vi. t. 337, et mult, aliorum, nou 

 Jacq. vel Desf. /. variabilis, Jacq. Coll. vol. ii. p. 231. 



Bulb ovoid, 9-12 lines thick, with several dark brown membranous 

 coats and a tuft of fibrous rootlets from the base. Stem 1-2 feet high, 

 erect, with 1 or rarely 2 flowers, firm, terete, flexuose, with 3 or 4 falcate 

 leaves placed laxly on each side distichously, the lowest a foot or more 

 long, linear-filiform, 3-4 lines broad where they leave the stem, the upper 

 part quite filiform, the lower half rounded on the back, glaucous-green, 

 glabrous, persistent. Valves of spathe 2-3 inches long, 4-6 lines broad, 

 lanceolate, scariose, al)out 3 inches long, usually reaching up to the base 

 of the limb at flowering time, hardly at all ventricose. Pedicel 1|~3 

 inches long within the spathe. Ovary cyliodrical, 12-18 lines long. 

 Tube scarcely any. Limb 2-2| inches deep, usually deep violet-purple, 

 sometimes paler; outer divisions keeled with yellow internally, with a 

 spreading roundish lamina 8-12 lines broad, and an erecto-patent pandu- 

 riform claw about twice as long as the lamina, 3-4 lines broad at the 

 middle; inner divisions erect, concolorous, oblanceolate, 5-6 lines broad, 

 nearly as long as the inner ones. Stigmas parallel with the outer divi- 

 sions and very nearly as long, ligulate, 4-5 lines broad below the bifid 

 crest, the lobes of which are \ inch deep, crenulate on the outer edges. 



Hab. Portugal, Welwitsch, 354! Frequent throughout Spain, rang- 

 ing in altitude from the coast-level to 6000 feet, Boissier! Bourgeau 

 Exsicc. 1849. n. 466 ! Exsicc. 1850. n. 891 ! Willkomm, 60 ! etc. France, 

 salt marshes of Roque Haute, near Beziers, Herault, Pabre I and said by 

 Parlatore to*'have been found by Kequicn in Corsica. Flowers from April 

 to June. 



