72 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



14. I. Delavayi, Micheli in Revue Horticole, 1895, 

 p. 399, fig. 128, 129; Jar din du Crest, p. 189; Sot. 

 Mag., t. 7661. From the figure in the Botanical Magazine 

 of 1899, this Iris must be very ornamental, but from the 

 fact that I have good plants that have not flowered, it is 

 not perhaps free-flowering. It is nearly allied to /. 

 sibirica, and like it appears to have hollow stems which 

 I have not found in any other Irises. The green fruit 

 is very distinct, for while that of /. sibirica is very 

 obtusely angled and not much more than twice as long 

 as broad, the fruit of this plant is sharply angled and 

 about four times as long as broad. Moreover, the 

 flowers have a distinct perianth-tube, and the flowers 

 are without the venation characteristic of 1. sibirica. 

 There are other differences, but these amply serve to 

 distinguish the one from the other. The hollow stem 

 is a marked distinction for both, in comparison with the 

 solid stem of other Irises. 1. Delavayi has a stout 

 creeping rootstock ; the leaves are 2 to 2\ ft. long by \ 

 to in. broad, erect, acuminate and strongly ribbed. 

 The peduncle is longer than the leaves ; spathes 2 to 2 \ 

 in. long, lanceolate, green with scarious tips ; pedicels 

 as long as the spathes. The flowers are 2 to 2| in. 

 across ; tube \ in. long ; falls recurved ; blade oblong, 

 obtuse, deep violet blue with white streaks; haft as long 

 as the blade, green with violet-white spotted wings ; 

 standards erect, oblong lanceolate of paler violet colour ; 

 stigmas oblong, pale violet ; crests orbicular, crenulate ; 

 capsule 2 to 2^ in. long, triquetrous. Native of marshes 

 in the province of Yunnan, China. Cultivation is quite 

 easy but moisture is necessary. 



15. I. missouriensis, Nutt. in Journ. Acad. Philad., 

 vii. 58 ; /. Tolmieana, Herb. Sheath-leaves brown and 

 rigid, not splitting into fibres as in I. longipetala. The 

 leaves are firm, pale green, T to I \ ft. long at flowering 

 time, \ to J in. broad. The stem is one-headed, I to 2 



