IRIS. 5 



10. i. MACRosiPHON Torrej, Bot. Whipple, 144. — Kbizome 

 slender ; slieath-leaves splitting into fibres. Leaves linear, a foot 

 long, I- in. broad, firm in texture, acuiuinate, greenish, finely ribbed. 

 Stem slender, 1-beaded, 3-G in. long; bract-leaves large, linear. 

 Spathes 1-2-flowered ; outer valves lanceolate, acuminate, green, 

 firm, 2-3 in." long ; pedicel very short. Perianth-tube slender, 

 1^-3 in. long; limb bright lilac, 2 in. long; falls obovate-cuneate, 

 fin. broad; standards rather shorter, oblanceolate, erect. Style- 

 branches an inch long ; crests deltoid. Capsule ovoid-oblong, an 

 inch long. 



Hab. California and Oregon. 



11. I. vENTEicosA Pallas, Iter. iii. 820; App. 682, t. 27, fig. 1. 

 Xi/riilion ventricosum Klatt. — Tufts crowded, surrounded by a mass 

 of rigiil brown truncate entire sheaths 2-3 in. long. Leaves linear, 

 a foot or more long, |-^ in. broad, firm, acuminate, distinctly 

 ribbed. Stems a few inches longer than the sheaths, bearing a 

 single 1-2-flowered spathe, and beneath it 1-2 linear or lanceolate 

 bract-leaves. Spathe 2-2|- in. long; 2 outer valves oblong, acute, 

 green, moderately firm, very ventricose. Ovary nearly sessile ; 

 tube 1^ in. long ; limb lilac, 1^-2 in. long ; falls oblanceolate, with 

 a small spreading blade and long strap-shaped haft ; standards 

 lanceolate, \ in. broad. Style-branches an inch long; crests long, 

 narrow, obtuse. 



Hab. Dahuria and Mongolia. 



12. I. BuNGEi Maxim, in Act. Petrop. x. 695. — Tufts crowded ; 

 sheaths splitting into copious fibres down to the base. Leaves 

 narrow linear, a foot long, firm, strongly ribbed. Stem 3-4 in. 

 long, 1-headed, bearing about 2 rigid lanceolate reduced leaves. 

 Spathe 2-fiowered, 3-3J in. long ; two outer valves superposed, 

 oblong-lauceolate, firm, pale green, very ventricose ; pedicel short; 

 perianth-tube 1-^-2 in. long; limb dark lilac, 2 in. long; standards 

 with a long haft and short spreading claw ; falls oblanceolate- 

 oblong, shortly unguiculate, ^ in. broad. Style-branches an inch 

 long ; crests long, narrow. 



Hab. Eastern and Southern Mongolia, first gathered by Bunge. Nearly 

 allied to I. ventricosa. 



13. 1. soNGARicA Schrenk Enum. i. 3. loniris songarica Klatt. 

 — Tufts densely crowded, surrounded by long sheaths, splitting up 

 into copious fibres. Leaves linear, ^-1 ft. long, |-^ in. broad, 

 firm, strongly ribbed. Stems ^-l^ ft. long, bearing 1-4 spicate 

 heads and 2-3 linear leaves. Spathes 2-3-tiowered, 3-4 in. long ; 

 outer valves lanceolate, rigid; pedicel about an inch long. Perianth- 

 tube cylindrical, 1-1^ in. long ; limb lilac, li-2 in. long ; falls with 

 a long haft and short spreading obovate blade ^-| in. broad; 

 standards nearly as long as broad, oblanceolate- unguiculate. 

 Style-branches an inch or more long ; crests large, lanceolate. 

 Capsule oblong-trigonous, rostrate, 1^-2 in. long. 



Var. ? GRACILIS Maxim. — Leaves weaker, spathe-valves narrower, 

 perianth-tube not longer than the ovary, pedicel longer. 



