CHAPTER XVII 



Hermodactylus. 



(The Iris with tuberous root.) 



138. I. tuberosa, Linn. Bot. Mag., t. 531 ; Red. Lit., 

 t. 48 ; Eng. Bot., 3rd ed., t. 1496 ; Foster, Bulbous 

 Irises, figs. 19 and 49 ; Hermodactylus tuber osus, Salisb. 

 (see plate). This interesting plant with green and 

 black flowers is altogether an Iris from a garden point 

 of view, though often separated by botanists on account 

 of its one-celled ovary and fingered rootstock. It is 

 sometimes known as the " Snake's-head " or "Widow 

 Iris," and although sombre in colour is considered to 

 have so much beauty that it can be spoken of as lovely 

 and charming. The rootstock is a tuber, either un- 

 branched or with three or more finger-like branches 

 when fully grown. The leaves are I to 2 ft. long, four- 

 sided, with a horny point like those of /. reticulata, and 

 of this formation there is no other Iris outside the 

 reticulata group. The stem is one-headed, a foot or 

 more long ; the spathe, one-flowered, with usually one 

 large lanceolate valve (two in the variety bispathacea) ; 

 pedicel I to 2 in. long. The flower is funnel-shaped, 

 about 2 in. across ; falls with a much rounded reflexing, 

 black brown blade, J in. or | in. across, its haft rather 

 broader, tapering to the base ; standards, very small and 

 narrow, tapering to a cusp or awn. In a specimen before 

 me the upper part of the standards is of hair-like fineness. 

 The crests are deltoid or lanceolate, notched on the outer 

 edge. The capsule is obovate, swollen. Except for the 

 black-brown of the blade, the flowers are green. 

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