144 ENGLISH BOTANY. : 
the lamina longer and little broader than the claw, oval, spreading 
or slightly recurved, not bearded. Petals spreading, about three- 
fourths the length of the sepals, and a little longer than the stigmas, 
elliptical-spathulate, with narrow parallel involute claws. Capsule 
3-celled, oblong-fusiform, bluntly-trigonous, with six faint furrows. 
Seeds globose, with a smooth fleshy orange testa, which at last becomes 
dry, shrivelled, and dark red. 
Var. a, genuina. 
Lamina of the sepals pale purplish-blue, with purple lines. Petals 
lined with slaty blue. 
Var. (, citrina. 
Flowers wholly pale lemon-yellow, without purple lines. 
In woods, by the borders of fields, on hedgebanks, and on rough 
slopes. Not uncommon, and generally distributed in the south of 
England, especially in chalky districts ; rare in the north, extending to 
Anglesea, York and Durham. Not native in Scotland but naturalised 
at Ormiston, East Lothian, and near Dunfermline, Fife. Rare, and, 
though widely distributed in Ireland, probably introduced in many 
of its stations. The var. 6 has occurred in the Isle of Wight and in 
Dorset. 
England, [Scotland,] Ireland. Perennial. Summer. 
Rootstock branched, about the thickness of a man’s finger, dull 
brown, with white flesh. Flowering stem produced from the apex 
of the branches of the rootstock, 1 to 2 feet high, usually with a barren 
tuft on each side of it. Leaves on the flowering stem shorter up- 
wards, so that they scarcely overtop it. Flowers about 3 inches 
across. Claws of the sepals yellowish-white with a few purple veins; 
lamina pale purplish-blue (at least round the margins), prettily marked 
with numerous dark purple lines. Petals pale purplish-blue, or more 
or less tinged with lurid yellow, without darker lines. Stigmas lurid 
yellow. Capsule about 3 inches long, slightly drooping, the valves 
separating to the base and twisting, remaining through the winter 
with the berry-like seeds attached to the placentas which run down 
the middle of each valve. Plant when bruised giving out a strong 
odour, which has been compared to roast beef or boiled milk, but 
seems to me more like that of wet starch. 
Fetid Iris. 
French, Iris gigot. German, Schawertel. 
This plant is remarkable for its very peculiar scent, and has been employed in 
medicine as a powerful cathartic. It is very acrid and violent in its action, and not 
