JUNO 181 



and 1889, i. p. 530, also in Bulbous Irises, p. 8l, figs. 25 

 and 55. This is a very beautiful and distinct Iris, one 

 of the most gaily painted in all the genus. It is ex- 

 ceedingly variable in colour and being easily raised from 

 seed the cultivator is afforded the pleasure of raising an 

 almost unlimited number of garden varieties. The 

 flowers are usually variegated in purples, yellow and 

 white, the purple being red-purple passing into crimson, 

 or blue-purple passing into dull or dingy lavender ; while 

 a more rare form is described by Sir Michael Foster as 

 nearly pure yellow with a few purple or violet markings ; 

 and again another beautiful one is of pure white, except 

 for a large patch of deep violet on the blade of the fall 

 and some few veins. All these and other combinations 

 of crimson, gold and white produce a most effective dis- 

 play when the flowers appear on the bare ground with 

 but little sign of foliage, which develops after the 

 flowers. The bulb is ovoid, f to I in. diam., with thick 

 root-fibres and brown membranous coats ; leaves four to 

 five, lanceolate, without horny border, finally 6 to 8 in. 

 long by 2 in. breadth ; stem very short, one to three 

 headed ; spathes one-flowered ; valves lanceolate, green, 

 2 to 3 in. long. The flowers are 4 in. or more across, 

 with tube I to 6 in. long ; falls almost strap-shaped, 

 with an oblong blade ^ in. broad, sometimes even 

 narrower than the claw, with a conspicuous median 

 toothed ridge usually orange in colour ; standards 

 obovate, an inch long, much channelled ; style branches 

 I to ij in. long; the crests large and quadrate. A 

 native of Bokhara and Turkestan at an elevation of 

 6000 to 9000 ft. It is perfectly hardy, easily cultivated 

 and flowers in March. One of the most desirable of all 

 spring flowers. 



130. I. persica, Linn. ; Bot. Mag., t. I ; Red. Lit., t. 

 189; Garden, 1888, June 16, t. 653; Foster, Bulbous 

 Irises, p. 74, and others, figs. 20, 21, 50. "Persian Iris." 



