APOGON 67 



probably in Asia Minor and Syria, yet other plants of 

 the same group. He mentions the possession of I. 

 Masiae, sent by Herr Max Leichtlin, which closely 

 resembles the above two but has deep purple flowers, 

 and is really a handsome plant, though a shy bloomer 

 and a "mifFy doer," to use a gardening phrase. 



8. I. Douglasiana, Herb. ; Hook, fil., Bot. Mag., 

 t. 6083. The Garden, Oct. 3, 1896, plate 1 086. This 

 is a good and distinct Iris, but it has not readily sub- 

 mitted to cultivation. It has been described as among 

 the most distinct and beautiful of the beardless Irises. 

 The rootstock is short-creeping, sheath leaves rigid, 

 not splitting into fibres. The leaves are I to 2 ft. 

 long, \ to | in. broad, tapering to a point and strongly 

 ribbed. The stem is 6 to 12 in. long with a long and 

 linear bract-leaf. The spathes are two or three flowered, 

 pedicels long ; outer valves lanceolate, green, 2 to 3 in. 

 long. The perianth-tube is cylindrical, \ to f in. long ; 

 limb \\ to 2 in. long ; falls obovate-cuneate, f to I in. 

 broad, pale lilac with darker lilac veins ; standards 

 oblong-unguiculate, \ in. broad. The style branches 

 are an inch long with large obtuse crests. In colour, the 

 flower varies from pale yellow to dark lilac, but is 

 always veined. /. Beecheyana is regarded as a variety 

 but it is nearly stemless with a wide creeping root-stock, 

 which at least suggests that it might stand alone. The 

 Santa Cruz variety, Mr Baker says, has whitish falls 

 with a yellow keel and claret-purple veins. The plate 

 in The Garden nearly answers to this. A native of 

 California. For culture, see chapter on cultivation, 

 under Californian Irises. 



9. I. tenax, Dougl. in Bot. Reg., t. 1218; Hook, in 

 Bot. Mag., t. 3343, The Garden, June 18, 1898, plate 

 1175. This Iris has a very bright lilac flower, but has 

 never, I think, attained popularity. The leaves form a 

 dense tuft from short creeping rhizomes, and attain a 



