IRIS 



THE BULB BOOK 



IRIS 



yellow margins veined with coppery 

 purple. The broadly elliptic stand- 

 ards are violet, and the styles are 

 bluish-violet with broad-toothed 

 crests. 



streaked with yello\ 

 (Bot. Mag. t. 531.) 



or bright green. 



FIG. 216. Iris tingitana. 



I. Tubergeniana. This is related 

 to /. orchioides and /. caucasica. The 

 falls are bright yellow while the 

 standards are minute and three- 

 toothed. (Gard. Chron. 1899, xxv. 

 225.) 



I. tuberosa (ffermodactylus tuber- 

 osus), Snake's Head Iris. A distinct 

 and interesting species, native of the 

 Mediterranean shores. It has a 

 tuberous branched root-stock like a 

 small hard, deformed Potato. The 

 leaves are often very long, four-sided, 

 with a horny point. The flowers, 

 about 2 ins. across, appear in March 

 and April on slender hollow stems 

 about 1 ft. long, and are of a peculiar 

 olive-green colour, with dark almost 

 black velvety purple falls, occasionally 



FIG. 217. Iris tuber 



(i-) 



316 



I. ungulcularis (/. stylosa). A 

 lovely beardless Algerian Iris with 

 a rhizome as thick as a man's finger 

 and tufts of distichous linear bright 

 green leaves equalling or overtopping 

 the large fragrant bright lilac or sky- 

 blue flowers, which are produced from 

 October to April (Bot. Ifag. t. 5773). 



There are several forms of this 

 species, including alba, with large 

 white flowers, and speciosa, with deep 

 rich blue flowers veined with white. 

 There are also forms known as 

 angwtifolia, Elisdbethce, grandiflora, 

 lilacina, marginata, pavonia, and 

 purpurea. 



They are all best grown in spots 

 sheltered from rain and wind. 



I. urmiensis. A Cushion Iris from 

 Persia, about 7 ins. high, and having 

 yellow flowers (Gard. Chron. 1900, 

 xxviii. 373, f. 116). 



