IRIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



IRIS 



/. Lorteti, I. Sqfarana. 



I. lupina. */. Suivorowi. 



I. Marice. I. Susiana. 



I. paradoxa. */. vaga. 

 L Sari. 



The "Oncocyclus" or "Cushion" 

 Irises as they are called, are remark- 

 able for their large and showy 

 blossoms, the outer segments of which 

 are diffusely hairy down the claw and 

 the lower part of the blade or " fall." 

 The "Regelia" group, distinguished 

 above by an asterisk (*), are some- 

 what similar in appearance, and form 

 the connecting link between the 

 large and showy Bearded Irises of 

 the Pogoniris group. As mentioned 

 below, the Oncocyclus and Regelia 

 Irises are readily intercrossed, and 

 several fine hybrids have been raised 

 between them. In the near future 

 we may expect other hybrids between 

 these and the most ornamental of the 

 Bearded Irises like /. florentina, /. 

 germanica, etc. 



CULTURE. In regard to this group 

 of Irises, I cannot do better than 

 quote from the Practical Guide to 

 Garden Plants as follows : 



These are usually the largest, most 

 charming, and most beautifully 

 coloured of all the Irises; but 

 unfortunately they are also the most 

 difficult to grow thoroughly well. 

 According to the late Sir Michael 

 Foster, F.K.S., who had devoted 

 many years to the cultivation and 

 study of these Irises, the character- 

 istics of the group are as follows. 

 In the rhizome the young bud, instead 

 of being attached to the stock by a 

 broad flattened base, and projecting 

 slightly, stands out in the form of a 

 nipple, the base of which is often 

 constricted. In many forms the 

 attachment is lengthened into a cord, 

 often a very narrow one, so that the 

 bud is at the end of a stolon. 



According to the narrowness and 

 length (or the reverse) of the connec- 

 tion of the bud with the stock, the 

 rhizome may be spoken of as more or 

 less spreading or creeping, or more or 

 less compact. 



The foliage as compared with other 

 Irises is scanty, and the leaves 

 narrow, and mostly sickle - shaped. 

 The flower-stem or scape usually 

 bears only a single flower, which is 

 conspicuous by its size, colour, and 

 marking. The "falls" are usually 

 more or less bearded at the base, and 

 occasionally there are also a few 

 hairs on the claw of the standards. 

 There is another group of Irises 

 closely allied to the Oncocyclus, but 

 as the flowers are somewhat different 

 in shape, and more than one on a 

 stem, they have been distinguished 

 by Sir Michael Foster under the 

 name of "Regelia." /. Korolkowi 

 represents this section. 



Notwithstanding the fact that 

 Oncocyclus Irises are somewhat 

 difficult to grow successfully, the 

 great beauty and variety of form of 

 their flowers will be an ample 

 recompense for any special trouble 

 taken with them. The main points 

 in their cultivation are (1) shallow 

 planting, (2) gritty, well - drained 

 soil, (3) non-disturbance in autumn, 

 and (4) absence of wet overhead and 

 at the root from the time the leaves 

 wither until growth starts again 

 naturally. 



The Rev. Mr Ewbank, of Ryde, 

 I.W., who, as well as Sir Michael 

 Foster and Herr Max Leichtlin of 

 Baden-Baden, has devoted much 

 attention to the cultivation of this 

 group of Irises, has placed on record 

 in The Garden the method by which 

 he has succeeded in growing them 

 almost to perfection. He makes a 

 raised bed some 6 ins. or so above 

 the surrounding soil, and uses road 



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