APOGON 71 



The stems are slender, terete, hollow, overtopping the 

 leaves, simple or forked. The spathes are two to three 

 flowered, valves lanceolate, brown, scariose, I to ij in. 

 long. The perianth-tube is almost obsolete ; limb ij to 

 2 in. long, bright lilac blue ; falls copiously veined, 

 with an orbicular blade f in. broad, narrowed gradually 

 to a slender claw ; standards rather shorter, erect, oblong, 

 ^ to \ in. broad. The style-branches are f to I in. 

 long, crests small, deltoid. It is native of Central and 

 Southern Europe reaching to Eastern Siberia. There 

 are several distinct varieties. 



Var. flexuosa (/. flexuosa Ker in Bot. Mag., t. 1163 ; 

 Red. Li/., t. 420) has flowers white with crisped segments. 

 It was noticed by Lobel and Parkinson. 



Var. orientalis ; (/. orientalis.- Thunb. in Trans. Linn. 

 Soc., ii. 328 ; /. haematophylla, Fisch. in Sweet, Brit. Flo. 

 Garden, t. IIl8 ; /. nertchinskia, Lodd. Bot. Cab., t. 1843) 

 has stem leaves tinged with red below, and red spathe- 

 valves. The flowers are larger than those of the type, 

 the blade of falls is orbicular, I to ij in. broad. This 

 is native of Eastern Siberia and Japan. 



Var. acuta (Willd.), leaves stiffly erect ; flowers pale 

 blue with much white ; stem and leaves half the usual 

 height of usual forms. 



A narrow leaved form is cultivated in the Cambridge 

 Botanic Garden as var. angustifolia. There is also a 

 double form, a white, a deep blue labelled atrocae- 

 rulea and one or two others. 



This species is easy to grow, and is a useful kind to 

 possess. It will do well on a dry bed, but prefers 

 moisture. It would be interesting to raise seedlings 

 with a view to selection and improvement. Good forms 

 are valuable for effect. The variety orientalis is one of 

 the best. Messrs Barr & Sons offer a new Japanese form, 

 called "Blue King," no doubt a good one, and another 

 called "Snow Queen," which must be very charming. 



