IRIDACEX. 143 
GENUS IV.—_IRIS. Lin. 
Perianth regular, petaloid; tube extending beyond the ovary, short 
or elongate, straight; limb 6-partite, the three outer segments com- 
monly larger and reflexed, or sometimes spreading ; the three inner 
often ascending or incurved; all of them narrowed at the base. 
Stamens 3, inserted on the base of the outer segments of the perianth ; 
filaments free; anthers affixed to the base. Ovary adhering to the 
tube of the perianth, green, trigonous-prismatic; style thick, rather 
short, trigonous, commonly adhering below to the tube of the perianth ; 
stigmas (rather branches of the style) 3, petaloid, with a central 
midrib, one of the segments covering each of the stamens, their 
apex 2-lobed. Capsule subcoriaceous or purchmentlike, trigonous- 
hexagonal-prismatic or fusiform, with six more or less acute ribs, 
loculicidally 3-valved. Seeds numerous, flattish with a hard testa or 
globular with a hard or fleshy testa. 
Herbs commonly with a creeping tuberous rhizome and ensiform 
and equitunt leaves ; or with corm or cormo-tuber and tetragonal 
leaves; or with a bulb and semicylindrical channelled or tetragonal 
leaves. Flowers large, brightly coloured, enclosed in herbaceous or 
more or less scarious imbricated spathes. 
The name of this genus of plants is from *Ipte, the messenger of the gods—the rain- 
bow. The species of Iris are supposed to resemble the rainbow in their variety of 
colours. 
SPECIES I—IRIS FQ@TIDISSIMA. Linn. 
Pirate MCCCCXCIV. 
Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ. et Helv. Vol. IX. Tab. CCCXLVII. 
Billot, F\. Gall. et Germ. Exsicc. No. 2929. 
Xiphion foetidissimum, Parl. Fl. Ital. Vol. II. p. 297. 
Rhizome thick, horizontal, creeping. Stem slightly compressed, as 
long as or a little shorter than the leaves, simple. Leaves evergreen, 
broadly linear-ensiform, widest a little beyond the middle, subfalcate 
or nearly straight, deep green, slightly shining. Spathes terminal 
and lateral towards the extremity of the stem, herbaceous with 
narrow scarious borders. Flowers 2 or 3 from the terminal spathe, 
usually solitary from the lateral spathes. Pedicels longer than the 
ovary when the flower is expanded, about as long as the mature 
capsule. Free portion of the perianth tube oblong, shorter than the 
ovary. Sepals oblanceolate, the claw broad, folded into a gutter; 
