130 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



green, the pedicel hardly exceeding -| in. The tube is 



1 in. long, slender, narrowing to the base. The falls 

 are 2 in. long, obovate-cuneate, the beard composed of 

 dense white hairs tipped with violet. In colour the 

 flower is dull purple, the falls lighter below, with 

 thickish purple veins ; the blade is distinctly veined 

 (when dry) like an insect's wing, the veins being fine 

 and clear. The standards are obovate, oblong, narrowed 

 below to a short claw ; the lower part of the blade is 

 light in colour, and the purple of the blade above is 

 here continued in very small spots. The style-arms are 

 between I in. and ij in. long, including the crests; 

 together the crests are semicircular, and are distinctly 

 toothed. The plant is a native of Persia, and appears to 

 be easily grown. 



The above description is from a plant cultivated at 

 Kew, but since writing it I am informed by eminent 

 authority that /. Straussii is only /. melitta. This plant, 

 however, appears to differ from the description of that 

 plant, and as I am unable to give it another name, I 

 leave it with that used at Kew. 



79. I. balkana, Janka, Adat. Erd., 173. Rhizome 

 stout. Leaves in crowded tufts, ensiform, 6 to 9 in. 

 long at flowering time, f in. wide, glaucescent ; stem 

 one-headed, 5 in. long (Baker says 6 to 9 in. long) ; 

 spathes of two lanceolate valves, one or two flowered, 



2 in. long; pedicel short. The perianth-tube is I to I J 

 in. long, limb 2 \ in. long, of red-purple colour ; the 

 falls are obovate-cuneate, \\ in. wide, reflexing from 

 low down ; the beard dense, of white hairs, described 

 by Baker as tipped with lilac ; standards of same length 

 and width, oblong ; the style-arms are if in. long, in- 

 cluding the crests, which are deltoid in shape. Is 

 a native of the Balkans, and flowers in May. There 

 appears to be no difficulty in growing this, and I have 

 seen it doing well on a bank with other dwarf Irises. 



