POGONIRIS 129 



there are forms without this mark of distinction. The 

 rhizome is stout and short creeping. The leaves are 

 ensiform, falcate, 2 to 4 in. long at flowering time, J to 

 ^ in. broad. The stem is very short, one-headed ; spathes 

 one to two flowered, 2 to 3 in. long ; valves lanceolate, 

 green, membranous, acutely keeled, tinged with red, 

 unless in the forms which have no red margin to the 

 leaf; pedicel very short. The slender perianth-tube is 

 greenish, ij to 2 in. long; the limb is yellow or lilac, 



2 to 2| in. long ; falls obovate-cuneate, f in. broad, 

 densely bearded ; standards as long, obovate, an inch 

 broad ; style branches an inch long ; crests small, deltoid. 

 The flowers are fragrant. Mr Baker considers this near 

 /. pumila. Is a native of Scutari, Troy, and the moun- 

 tains of Central Asia Minor. I have grown it on the 

 rockery. 



77. I. melitta, Janka, Adat. Erd., 272. The rhizome 

 of this plant is stout ; the leaves are ensiform, falcate, 



3 to 4 in. long. The stem is about equal in length and 

 one-headed ; the spathe, two-flowered, 3 in. long ; valves 

 green lanceolate, acutely keeled ; pedicel short. The 

 perianth-tube and limb are of the same length and about 

 2 in. long, the colour of the latter being dark lilac ; the 

 falls are obovate-cuneate, f to I in. broad, with a blue 

 beard ; the standards are obovate, as long and as broad 

 as the falls ; the style branches are an inch long, the 

 crests deltoid. A native of Northern Thrace. May be 

 grown in the ordinary way with other dwarf Irises. 



78. I. Straussii, Haussk. A new and distinct Iris. 

 It belongs, apparently, to the biflora group, and comes 

 near /. balkana, I think. The rhizome is stout and short- 

 creeping. The leaves in the plant I have seen form a 

 close tuft ; they are ensiform, falcate, glaucous, and 

 about i\ in. long at flowering time. The stem is rather 

 longer, bearing one flower ; the larger spathe- valves are 

 oblong, 2\ in. long by f in. broad, acutely pointed, 



