122 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



as long as ovary ; leaves 



J to f in. wide, shorter 



than stem . . . var. ITALICA. 

 Leaves ensiform, ^ or f 



in. wide ; stem up to 



6 or 9 in. long, equal 



with leaves ; flowers 



dark violet ; tube 



slightly longer than 



ovary . . . var. OLBIENSIS. 

 Leaves linear, ^ in. 



broad ; falls greenish 



yellow, with a brown 



centre 1 . . -73- L MEDA. 

 69. I. pumila, Linn. Sp. Plant. ; Curt, in Bot. 

 Mag., t. 9; Red. Li/., t. 261 ; Reich. Ic. Fl. Germ., t. 

 327, fig. 752; /. Clusiana, t. 328, fig. 755. Of early 

 flowering Irises this is one of the most acceptable, 

 especially, I think, in the variety caerulea (see accompany- 

 ing plate). Some other dwarf Irises are frequently 

 grown under this name, but the very short stem and 

 long perianth-tube of /. pumila readily distinguish it. 

 The rhizome is short and stout. The leaves at flower- 

 ing time are 2 to 4 in. long, \ to \ in. wide, slightly 

 glaucous. The stem is obsolete or very short, one- 

 headed ; the spathe one-flowered, \\ to 2 in. long ; valves 

 lanceolate, scariose towards the tip at flowering time ; 

 pedicel, none or very short. The flowers are described 

 as not fragrant, but this they certainly are sometimes. 

 The perianth-tube is green, slender, 2 to l\ in. long ; 

 limb ij to 2 in. long, yellow or dark lilac, or almost 

 caerulean blue ; falls oblong-cuneate, f in. broad, re- 

 flexing from half-way down, densely bearded ; standards 

 as long, oblong, the same breadth as the falls ; style 



1 Apart from the narrow beard, on account of which, for facility of 

 reference. I place this Iris in this group, it is an Oncocyclus. 



