THE GENUS IRIS 



107 



Linn. Soc. xviii. 311 (1840, fide Dr. Jackson). A synonym for 

 this is "L tigrina Jacquemont MS." but why MS.? the name 

 is published in Baker's Handbook, p. 24; " Winterbotham " is 

 given throughout for Winterbottom. The same author is differ- 

 ently quoted; we have " Gawl," " Ker," " Ker Gawl," and " Ker- 

 Gawl" — the latter two are incorrect, though the former may 

 stand, as Ker changed his name to Gawler and published under 

 both. The missionary after whom I. Gatesii is named is entered 

 as "T. G. Gates" on p. 118 and as " G. F." on p. 227; Foster 

 called him " F. S." and Baker "T. F." ; we doubt whether the 

 species is validly published in either of the books standing first in 

 the citations. The inconvenient manner in which the book is 

 printed makes it difficult to detect the new species, and the 

 introduction does not call special attention to these. We note 

 however as new I. tenuissima (p. 44) from California ; I. sikki- 

 mensis (p. 44, t. 31) based upon the author's "I. kumaonensis 

 caulescens" and "probably from Sikkim " — Mr. Dykes is not 

 yet satisfied it may not be merely a hybrid ; I. mesopotamica 

 (p. 176) ; I. montana Nutt. (p. 91) ; and I. histrioides (p. 224, 

 t. 46 f. 1) — the last already known as a variety and raised to 

 specific rank on characters which seem rather slight. I. montana 

 is based on a specimen so named by Nuttall in the National 

 Herbarium; Mr. Dykes cites as a "synonym" " I. pelogomis 

 Goodding in Coult. Bot. Gaz. xxxiii. p. 68 (1902)" but adds 

 "their identification is probable but not quite certain;" should 

 it be definitely ascertained, Goodding's name will of course stand. 

 One or two notes will interest British botanists. I. versicolor 

 — which finds no place even in Mr. Druce's too comprehensive 

 List — " has become naturalized in a disused lock on the river 

 Calder in Yorkshire" (p. 81); "the pale ochraceous yellow 

 unblotched form" of I. Pseudacorus, known as Bastardi, "was 

 found growing in a field near Llanfairfechan in North Wales, 

 and a certain proportion of seedlings of the golden yellow type 

 are pale yellow-flowered [pale-yellow flowered ?] forms " (p. 78). 



It is, however, as has been indicated, in the printing of the 

 work that there is most ground for criticism — such a combination 

 of meanness with extravagance has never come under our notice. 

 In such a book, each species should of course begin a page ; here 

 they follow each other with an entirely inadequate separation by 

 space, and are rendered inconspicuous by being printed in faint 

 small italic capitals, the initial of the genus only being prefixed. 

 On the other hand, the wasteful method of printing the references 

 seriously detracts from the appearance of the book and can serve 

 no useful purpose. Not only does each locality occupy a line, but 

 each collector in that locality : e.g. (p. 137) : — 

 "Pesth, 1815, Kitaibel (B). 



18—, Kovats (V). 



18—, Kichter (V). 



18— Schiffer (E). 



1830, Martius (E). 



1876, Poruten (E). 



18-, Gyorgy (BM)." 



