86 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



tallest of known Irises, attaining a height of perhaps 6 

 ft. It is otherwise hardly distinct from the type. 



/. orientalis was found by Boissier in marshes to the 

 west of Smyrna, and I have seen it growing finely with 

 considerable moisture, but nevertheless it does well on 

 an ordinary border. The variety gigantea is said to be 

 good as a seaside plant. 



The hybrid " ochaurea," raised by Prof. Sir Michael 

 Foster, is a fine plant, more free-flowering than orien- 

 talis. Its parents are orientalis and aurea. The falls are 

 of rich yellow colour, bordered with cream ; the stan- 

 dards are erect and yellowish, bilobed at the apex. Its 

 height is about 5 ft. The first part of the name is taken 

 from ochroleuca, the most usual designation for the plant 

 we must call orientalis. 



