IRIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



IRIS 



almost lavender, yellowish-lilac, sea- 

 green, etc., but all have a conspicuous 

 patch of deep purple-violet or even 

 black in front of the orange or yellow 

 keel. In the variety Isaacsoni the 

 fall is creamy-white in front, tinged 

 with green and broken by thick 

 violet veins which, running parallel 

 to the median, violet-dotted, yellow 

 streak on the claw, form a conspicu- 

 ous violet zone around the ridge on 

 the blade. There is no patch of deep 

 colour in front as in the other forms. 



I. plicata.- A plant of unknown 

 origin 2 to 3 ft. high, with sword- 

 like leaves 12 to 18 ins. long, and 

 clusters of large fragrant flowers 

 produced in June and July; falls 

 pure white in the centre, veined with 

 bright lilac at the edges, and having 

 a yellow - tipped beard ; standards 

 pure white edged with lilac (Bot. 

 Mag. t. 810 ; Red. Lil. t. 356). 



I. Pseudacorus (Yellow Flag or 

 Water Flag). A. well-known British 

 Iris found near river banks, ditches, 

 etc., having a stout creeping root- 

 stock, and glaucous sword - shaped 

 leaves 2 to 4 ft. long. Flowers from 

 May to August, large, almost scent- 

 less, 3 to 4 ins. across, bright yellow 

 with a deeper spot at the base of the 

 falls, which are veined with brown or 

 purple. The variety acoroides from 

 N. America has small sulphur-yellow 

 flowers. There is a beautiful variety 

 in which the leaves are striped with 

 ivory-white, as in a form of I.foetidis- 

 sima, and another with golden-yellow 

 stripes, but these are much clearer 

 and finer looking in spring than in 

 summer and autumn. 



I. pseudo-variegata. This belongs 

 to the germanica section, and has 

 bright yellow flowers with brown- 

 yellow veined falls (Gard. 1899, t. 418). 



I. pumila. A charming little Iris 

 4 to 5 ins. high, from S. Europe and 

 Asia Minor, with sword-shaped leaves. 



Flowers in April, bright lilac-purple 

 or deep violet colour, the reflexed 

 falls having a dense white beard at 

 the base, the standards being usually 

 paler in colour. (Bot. Mag. tt. 9, 

 1209, 1261 ; Red. Lil. t. 261.) 



310 



FIG. 210. Iris pumila 



There are several forms, among 

 which may be mentioned albida the 

 Crimean Iris greyish-white ; atro- 

 coerulea, deep purple ; attica, yellow 

 veined with brownish-lilac ; coerulea, 

 bright blue with yellow beards; 

 ccelestis, sky-blue ; gracilis, pure white 

 with bronze falls; and lutescens, 

 bright yellow. 



I. Beichenbachiana is closely related 

 to /. lutescens. It has bright pale 

 yellow flowers. 



I. reticulata (Netted Iris). A 

 charming Caucasian Iris having ovoid 

 bulbs and four-sided, horny-pointed, 

 narrow leaves about 1 ft. long. 

 Flowers from January to March, 

 deep violet and sweetly scented, 



