6 



Krelagei, even when they are raised under conditions which seem 

 to exclude the possibility of the parent having been crossed with 

 Krelagei. For these reasons I am inclined to think that what 

 we call the type is a special variety or sport, which Bieberstein 

 happened to come across, and what we call the variety Krelagei 

 ought to be considered as the type. 



Be that as it may, I. reticulata, both in its typical form and 

 in the variety Krelagei, is characterised not only by the netted 

 coats of the bulb, but also by the peculiar form of the leaf, which 

 is four- sided, square in section, and armed at the tip with a 

 horny point. The only Iris outside the reticulata group possess- 

 ing such a leaf is the peculiar Iris tuberosa of Southern Europe, 

 of which I shall speak later on. The flower is sessile, but is 

 thrown up above the as yet short leaves by means of the long 

 tube, which is longer in the type than in the variety Krelagei. 



The variety Krelagei differs from the type not only in colour 

 and in form, but in the distinctness of the lateral veins on the 

 claw of the fall ; these, in the type, are lost in the general ground- 

 colour. In the type the ripe pod is long and narrow, thrown up 

 above the ground by a somewhat long pedicel ; in Krelagei the 

 pod is short and broad, and lies half buried in the ground. 



The variety Krelagei varies very much in colour, being some- 

 times of a dull plum colour, sometimes of a rich red-purple, 

 sometimes almost black ; and it varies also much in size. From 

 the type the late Mr. Nelson raised two varieties having all the 

 general features of the type, except that in one the flower was 

 larger than in imported specimens, and in the other the colour 

 was not violet, but a peculiar light blue, varying, however, a good 

 deal in tint. Mr. Max Leichtlin has also raised some seedlings of 

 various shades of blue. All these are very beautiful, g,nd one of 

 Mr. Max Leichtlin's forms is an especially handsome flower. 

 These more or less light blue varieties of the typical form are 

 sometimes spoken of as the variety ccerulea. 



A few years ago there was introduced, under the name of 

 I. reticulata cyanea, a small dwarf variety which differs from 

 both the type and Krelagei, not only in being of a very striking 

 blue, the blue known as cyanic, verging towards indigo, but 

 also in form, size, stature, and in some other minor features. 

 Three or four years ago I received, through the kindness of 

 Dr. Baynolds, of Van, some specimens gathered near Van, in 



