APOGON 77 



purple veined, with an orange spot near the base. The 

 distribution is through Europe, N. Africa and Siberia. 

 The following are recognised forms : 



Falls deep yellow, with orange spot at 

 the base of oval blade ; standards 

 oblong, rather abruptly narrowed 

 to haft ..... the type 



Falls deep yellow, with orange spot 

 at the base of nearly round blade ; 

 blade of standard gradually nar- 

 rowed to haft .... var. acoriformis 



Falls pale yellow, without orange spot 

 at the base of oblong oval blade ; 

 blade of standards rather abruptly 

 narrowed to haft . . . var. Bastardi 



This species is supposed to have furnished the heralds 

 with the device called " Fleur-de-lys," which, tradition 

 says, was adopted by Louis VII. for the bearings of 

 France, deriving its name from the river Lys, on the 

 borders of Flanders, on the banks of which it was 

 abundant. With sulphate of iron the juice yields a black 

 dye, and the plant has been formerly used in medicine, 

 as well as for a cosmetic. It was once held sacred to 

 the Virgin Mary. 



Very little has been said about this species in garden 

 literature, but undoubtedly it is highly ornamental and 

 capable of good effect. No plant could be more easily 

 grown wherever there is water or constant moisture, 

 and for " wild" gardening it deserves to be remembered. 



24. I. tenuis, S. Wats, in Proc. Amer. Acad., xvii. 

 380. This may not now be in cultivation. It has a 

 slender rhizome; very thin green leaves 12 to 15 in. 

 long, J in. broad at the middle, gradually narrowed to 

 the point. The stem is very slender, about a foot long, 

 forked, bearing two heads ; leaves of stem small and 



