471 



managed as the others: they succeed in this way with more difficulty 

 than in either of the others. 



All the herbaceous sorts may be increased by seeds, or parting 

 the roots. 



The seed may be sown in the autumn or early in the spring; but 

 the first is the better mode, on a bed of fine mould : when the plants 

 appear they should be kept clear from weeds till the autumn, when 

 they may be planted out where they are to remain, or in the nursery 

 for a year or two. 



The roots should be parted in the autumn or spring, when the 

 stems decay, before they shoot out new ones, being planted imme- 

 diately where they are to grow. 



The double-flowered and striped varieties can only be preserved 

 in this way. 



They all afford variety and ornament in the shrubbery and other 

 parts. 



2. SISYRINCHIUM IRIDIOIDES. 



IRIS-LEAVED SISYRINCHIUM. 



THIS genus contains plants of the flowery perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Monadelphia Triandria, and 

 ranks in the natural order of Ensatct. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a common ancipital spathe, 

 two-valved: valves compressed, acuminate: proper several, lanceo- 

 late, concave, obtuse, one-flowered: the corolla one-petalled, supe- 

 rior, six-parted : segments obovale with a point, from erect spreading: 

 three outer alternate, a little wider: the stamina have three filaments, 

 united into a subtriquetrous tube shorter than the corolla, distinct at 

 the top: anthers bifid below, fastened by the back: the pistillum is 



