herbaceous plants. 3 6 7 



outer segments of the flowers are violet-blue with darker 

 veins, the inner ones yellowish-brown. /. variegata, smaller 



than the German iris but of a similar habit The inner seg- 

 ments of the flower are of a bright claret color, the outer 

 ami erect ones bright yellow with brownish veins. I. hy- 

 brida is another very desirable kind, with the outer segments 

 white, veined and tipped with lilac-purple, inner ones white. 

 These are the most desirable border plants of the genus. 

 They may also be used in beds and rockeries with good 

 effect. 1. pumila is a very dwarf, spring-flowering species 

 suitable for rockeries only: the flowers are deep blue or 

 violet-purple on very short peduncles six or eight inches 

 from the ground : leaves very short and broad, sword-like. 



The following are best adapted for naturalizing on the 

 shores of [>onds and streams in rather moist and rich soil. 

 Yellow flag (I. pseudoacoiws), leaves narrow, sword-shaped, 

 glaucous creen ; flowers bright yellow, large and clustered ; 

 flowering stems two or three feet high. A very showy and 

 desirable plant flowering in spring or early summer. / lae- 

 vigata, Japanese iris, stem slender, two feet high or less, 

 leaves narrow, sword-shaped, small in comparison with the 

 flowers, which measure five or six inches across and are of 

 many rich and beautiful colors, mostly >hades of blue and 

 purple. This is one of the fiuest of all flags. American 

 water-flag (I. versicolw') is a common but very handsome 

 plant growing in or near shallow water. It grows about 

 two feet high and forms large masses of leaves. Flowers 

 purple-claret or purplish-blue veined with deep blue and 

 white. I. Siberica is of a tufted habit with very narrow 

 leaves ; flowers bright lilac-blue in great profusion in summer. 



