1 84 THE BOOK OF THE IRIS 



fleshy roots ; the outer coats are dark brown, cleft to the 

 base ; the three succeeding are elongated, imbricated, 

 obtuse, and pale in colour, forming a neck 2 in. long, 

 sheathing the bases of the young leaves. The leaves 

 are five to six, at the flowering time rather longer than 

 the perianth-tube, linear, deeply channelled down the 

 face, finally attaining a length of 8 to lo in., concave, 

 and gradually contracted to an acuminate point. The 

 spathe is bright green, nearly as long as the perianth- 

 tube, which is 2^ in. long, and pale lilac. The falls are 

 stoutly stalked, with the stalk 2 \ in. long ; the blade 

 broadly ovate-oblong, its base broadly cordate, very 

 deep on the rounded tip, with large purple spots on a 

 white or pale lilac ground. The standards are scarcely 

 an inch long, spreading and reflexed, of pale lilac colour. 

 The style arms are pale lilac with very large, nearly 

 round crests, reaching almost to the length of falls. It 

 is native of the Cicilian Taurus and flowers in February. 

 Apparently it is not difficult of cultivation, and may be 

 grown in pots for the greenhouse. 



133. I. Sieheana, mihi ; /. Haussknechti, Siehe in Gard. 

 Chron., 1901, May 1 8, p. 313, / perstca magna, Hort. 

 According to Siehe this plant has nothing to do with 

 /. persica, and his view may no doubt be accepted to the 

 extent that it is at least as distinct as other allied forms 

 to which specific names have been given. The name 

 Haussknechti cannot stand, because it has already been 

 applied by Bornmuller to an Iris of the Apogon group 

 (see Baker's Handbook, p. 4), and therefore I venture to 

 name it in honour of the discoverer of some of the most 

 beautiful members of this group. I am unable to give 

 a complete description, but the plant is characterised by 

 leaves nearly as broad as those of /. persica, which roll 

 themselves together and appear to be bent in every 

 direction, a white membranous margin being conspicu- 

 ous ; the flowers large, of silver grey colour marked 



