IRIS 195 
CHAPTER X 
Gris 
I nave already sung the song of the Irids, of those that 
dwell favourably and fittingly upon the rock-work; but 
of the stately species that remain, there are many that must 
have a place upon the upper and lower slopes of my bank. 
First, as to exclusions: all the German Flag-Irises, all the 
bearded Irises, Statellae, Ciengialtiu, bifiora, sambucina, 
pallida, hexagona and pearly florentina are best fitted for 
the open border and for deep soil on the higher, dryer 
shelves of the big rock-work. So also are the smaller 
species of the group, attica, bosniaca, and the rest. Nor 
can I distinguish accurately and describe; as my Irises 
arrive, I cast away their labels in a frenzy of dislike for 
such disfigurements, and in arrogant hope that I may 
perhaps remember the different kinds apart. The result 
is a state of chaos with which it would take a specialist 
to cope. Not to mention that the nomenclature of Iris 
is unsatisfactory. I know that my tricuspis—a pretty 
grassy thing, with purple, tricorn flowers—is not 
genuine ; I suspect my tolmieana too, and hover in doubt 
as to many of the others. What of a small intermediate 
Flag-Iris with big flowers of a curious greenish yellow, 
like blown glass ; am I right in daring to remember that 
this is attica? It arrived in a bale from Servia, hung 
about with indecipherable labels, and I know that attica 
was comprised in that consignment, which also concluded 
