XIPHION 161 



form under the name Mermieri which may be the same. 

 Messrs Barr & Sons offer a variety pallida, the flowers 

 of which are said to be large and of lovely soft canary 

 yellow shade. 



115. I. Boissieri, Henr., Baker in Bot. Mag., t. 70975 

 Foster in Bulbous Irises, figs. 16, 17, 48. Though 

 perhaps a difficult Iris to grow, this is both ornamental 

 and interesting. It is interesting on account of its 

 having a rudimentary beard, and because it is known only 

 on a single mountain in Portugal, the Serra de Gerez, 

 where it grows at an elevation of 2 to 3000 ft. It was 

 discovered by Mr A. W. Tait, who sent bulbs to Sir 

 Michael Foster. The flowers are of rich red-purple. 

 The bulb is under an inch in diameter with coats splitting 

 into fibres at the top. The leaves are slender, sub-terete, 

 a foot long ; stem a foot high, one headed, almost 

 entirely hidden by the dilated leaf-bases ; spathe 2 \ in. 

 long, outer valves lanceolate green ; pedicels short. 

 The perianth-tube is nearly 2 in. long, almost hidden 

 within the spathe-valves ; limb I J in. long ; falls with an 

 oblong blade, J in. broad, as long as the haft, which has 

 a distinct beard reaching nearly to the front of the 

 " signal " patch of bright orange ; standards as long as 

 the falls, obovate, \ in. broad ; style-arms an inch long, 

 crests sometimes deltoid, otherwise large and quadrate. 

 Flowers in June. Native of North Portugal. 



With regard to culture, Sir Michael Foster, writing 

 some years ago, believes that, like the " English Iris," it 

 requires more moisture in spring than is afforded by his 

 garden. 



II. Stemless Xiphions. 



Leaves, eight-ribbed, cylindrical 1 1 6. I. BAKERIANA 



linear with thickened edge 



forming a channel . 117. I. KOLPAKOWSKIANA 



