92 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



culture. It is an interesting plant and even attractive, 

 suitable for Botanic Gardens and collectors of the un- 

 common. It has been grown in the Cambridge Botanic 

 Garden for a number of years, and has given little 

 trouble, growing in a six-inch pot. No doubt it is 

 hardy, but some plants are most conveniently kept 

 immediately under the eye in a frame. The only figure 

 is in Britton and Brown's Illustrated Flora of the 

 Northern States and Canada, vol. i. p. 451. Like the 

 next, it has very short flowering stems, which are 

 one-headed. The flowers are lilac, and all the segments 

 are nearly equal in size, measuring only \ to f in. wide. 

 The falls are obovate, and have a yellow fimbriated 

 crest down the claw. The slender rhizome and short 

 perianth-tube distinguish it easily from all other species 

 of this section. It is native on the shores of Lakes 

 Huron and Superior. 



41. I. cristata, Ait. Hort. Ke<w., i. 71; Bot. Mag., 

 t. 412. For the garden this species is much better than 

 the last. It is very nearly allied, but is quite easily 

 distinguished by the perianth-tube, which is twice 

 longer. It is of much stronger growth, and in Eraser's 

 Nursery at Comely Bank, Edinburgh, I have seen it 

 forming great masses. At Cambridge its growth is 

 much more limited, due, no doubt, to drier climate. It 

 appears to be quite hardy. The slender rhizome is 

 wide-creeping, and sends out long stolons. The leaves 

 are ensiform, 6 to 8 in long, \ to f in. broad. The 

 pedicel or flower-stalk is of the same length as the 

 ovary, about | in. long ; the tube is filiform, \\ to 2 in. 

 long ; colour of flower pale lilac ; falls with reflexed 

 obtuse blade, \ in. broad, as long as the claw ; throat 

 and crest yellow ; the standards are erect, -| to f in. 

 broad, rather shorter than the falls. The stigmas, 

 including appendages, are half as long as the falls. 

 This species was grown as long ago as 1766 in the 



