u8 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



raising beautiful novelties for distribution (see chapter 

 on "Hybrids and Hybridising"). The rhizome of /. Korol- 

 koivi is short-creeping ; the leaves are ensiform, glaucous, 

 about a foot long at flowering time, and an inch broad. The 

 stem is one-headed, about a foot long, bearing a single 

 reduced leaf about the middle ; the spathe is usually two- 

 flowered, 3 to 4 in. long, the outer valves very large, 

 oblong, lanceolate ; membranous, green, lanceolate and 

 ventricose ; pedicel short. The perianth-tube is an inch 

 long, cylindrical ; limb 2 J to 3 in. long, of pale yellowish 

 white veined with chocolate ; the fall having a " signal" 

 patch and beard of the same colour ; the blade of the 

 fall is oblong, an inch broad ; the standards are oblong, 

 erect, as long and broad as the falls \ the style arms are 

 an inch long ; the crests large, ovate-deltoid. The ovary 

 is linear-oblong, strongly angled, above an inch long, 

 and the capsule oblong, unequally hexagonal, I \ to 2 in. 

 long, narrowed to a point. Is native of Turkestan, and 

 was sent to St Petersburg by General Korolkow in 

 1872. 



A comprehensive article on this Iris by Sir Michael 

 Foster will be found in the Gardeners* Chronicle ', July 14, 

 1888, p. 36. He distinguishes four varieties : 



Var. Leichtlini, falls and standards nearly pure 

 creamy white with tender, unobtrusive veins, 

 " signal" almost black-purple. 



Var. venosa, fails and standards pale lilac-grey with 

 conspicuous purple venation. 



Var. violacea, falls and standards violet or puce. 



Var. concolor, segments broader and more obtuse 

 venation, almost obscured by the violet or purple 

 colour. This is figured in Sot. Mag. as quoted 

 above. 



The type is here described as having relatively narrow 

 falls, of general olive-green colour, caused by olive- 

 green-brown veins and a like coloured "signal," on a 



