52. TRIDACE.E. 



147 



1. R. Bulbocodium, S. 



and ^I. Leaves o-lO, compressed, 

 linear, sometimes 20 cm. (8 in.) 

 long or more, 1-2 mm. broad, 

 with l)lunt edges and 2 grooves 

 on each side, .so that a trans^ 

 verse section resembles a ^laltese 

 cross: flowers 2-4, twice as long 

 as the spathe, on peduncles much 

 shorter than the leaves ; spathe 

 valves herbaceous, striate, the 

 upper one with broad, scarious, 

 brown-dotted borders, perianth 

 15-20 mm. (about' | in.), rarely 

 25 mm. long, segments lanceo- 

 late, 3-nerved on back, purplish- 

 pink inside with a yellow base, 

 purplish and green outside, 

 style - branches deeply bifid, 

 slightly shorter than the sta- 

 mens, which are nearly half as 

 long as the perianth ; seeds 

 numerous, a-ngular, dull. 



This is the short-styled 

 (It. loiKjifiAia, Baker?) of 

 Ecklon, now united by Kew 

 European li. Bnlhocodliun. 

 plant var. hrc risiula. 



Pasture and roadsides. -Sept. Oct. — Mediterranean 

 region: South Africa. Onion-grass in Victoria. 



2. R. Columnaei Sebastiani and Mauri. Leaves 

 5-12. even narrower than in the preceding; flowers 2-4, 

 slightly longer than spathe, on rather short peduncles; 

 spathe-valves membranous, both with brown-spotted edges ; 

 perianth 8-10 mm. (under A in.) long, pale-violet with a 

 yellow throat, the outer segments green on the back, with 

 purple stripes ; stamens three-quarters as long as perianth 

 and slightly exceeding the style, whose branches are shortly 

 bifid: seeds reddish.- 



Pasture and roadsides. — Aug. -Sept. — Western Europe 

 and Mediterranean region. 



5. Iris, L. 



((rreek iris, rainbow ; varied color of the flowers.) 



1. Iris g-ermanica, L. German Iris. Perennial 

 with a long, thick lootstbck and sword.shaped, equitant 

 leaves shorter than the branching stem; flowers 1-3 in the 

 spathe, large, blue or white; spathe large, inflated, with 

 oblong valves ; perianth-tube short, segments equal, broad, 

 the 3 outer spreading-recurved, with a yellow beard run- 

 ning down the midrib for half their length, the 3 inner 



Romulea Bulbocodium. 



form 



the Soutli African 1'. rosea. 



and other authorities with the 



1 would suggest calling our 



