198 



THE DICTIONARY OF GARDENING, 



Iris continued. 



way down; standards oblanceolate-spathulate, erect, iin. long. 

 May. 1. thin, basal ones 1ft. or more long, about iin. broad. 

 Stems 2ft to 3ft. high, rather stout, branched low down. Eastern 

 Siberia to Japan, 1844. A rare and handsome species, not unlike 

 /. ribirica. SYN. /. brachycuspis (under which name it is figured 

 in B. M. 2326). 



I. sibirica (Siberian).* /?. two or three in a cluster ; limb bright 

 lilac-blue, liin. to 2in. deep ; falls with an oblong blade, fin. to 

 lin. broad, much veined with bright violet on a light ground ; 

 standards rather shorter than the falls, erect, oblanceolate- 

 unguiculate, about iin. broad. May and June. I. linear, five to 

 six in a tuft, greenish, ribbed, 1ft. to 2ft. long. Stem terete, 

 fistulose, 1ft. to 2ift. high, simple or forked. Central and 

 Southern Europe to Siberia, 1596. A well-known species, and 

 one of the commonest in cultivation. It requires plenty of sun- 

 shine and a rich damp soil to bring its beauty to full perfection. 

 The forms of it are numerous, and varied in colouring. The 

 variety with double flowers is not a handsome plant. (B. M. 60.) 



X. speculatrix (watcher), fl., limb lilac, the divisions sub- 

 equal, obovate, emarginate at the apex ; the reflexing lamina of 

 the falls half as long as the claw, which is spotted with violet and 

 white at the throat, and furnished for its lower two-thirds with a 

 simple yellow crest with purple spots ; standards erect and plain 

 lilac. April. I. linear, strongly ribbed, acute, minutely toothed, 

 and hyaline at the edge. Stems under 1ft. high, bracteated by 

 several reduced leaves. Greenhouse. Hong Kong, 1876. (B. M. 

 6306.) 



I. spuria (spurious). /. in sessile or nearly sessile clusters ; limb 

 bright lilac, liin. to 2in. long ; falls with a round blade under lin. 

 broad, hardly at all deflexed, furnished with a bright yellow keel 

 beginning at the base of the limb and running down the claw, 

 which is faintly streaked with purple on a white ground ; stan- 

 dards oblanceolate, shorter than the falls, bright lilac. June and 

 July. I. erecto-patent, 1ft. long, iin. broad. Stem 1ft. to 2ft. 

 high, little branched, stout, sub-terete. Europe, Asia, Algeria, 

 (B. M. 58.) 



nig.' 



Fio. 331. IRIS SUSIA.NA. 



I. squalens (daubed).* /. in clusters, with a faint Elder-like scent ; 

 limb 2im. to 3in. deep ; falls obovate-cuneate, liin. broad, reflex- 

 ing half-way down, upper part bright lilac-purple ; beard bright 

 yellow ; standards length and breadth same as the falls, obovate- 

 unguiculate, erect, rather crisped, dull lilac and yellow or 

 brownish -yellow. May and June. 1. tufted, ensiform, glaucous 



Iris continued. 



Stems 2ft. to 3ft. high, branched half-way down, bearing three 

 or four clusters of flowers. Europe, Asia, 1768. (B. M. 787.) 

 Two desirable varieties are atropurpurea and lavendulacea. 



X. Stenogyne (with narrow-stigma). A synonym of /. Gulden- 

 stadtiana. 



I. stylosa (large-styled). A synonym of I. unguicularig. 



I. subbiflora (sub-two-flowered). A synonym of 1. biflora. 



I. susiana (Susian).* fl. solitary ; limb 3in. deep ; falls and stan- 

 dards similar in size and shape, with a round blade, liin. to 3in. 

 broad, cuneately narrowed to a short claw, with dense fine spots 

 and lines of brown-black on a whitish groundwork tinged with 

 lilac ; falls reflexing about half-way up, densely pilose clown the 

 claw, with a broad cushion of brown-black hairs ; standards erect, 

 much spotted on a groundwork of brighter lilac. April. I. ensi- 

 form, stem-clasping, pale green, rather firm. Stem 1ft. to lift, 

 high. Levant, 1573. A most distinct and beautiful species, re- 

 quiring a slight protection in winter in colder parts of the country. 

 SeeFif.331. (B P M.91.) 



I. Swertii (Swert's). fl. very fragrant ; limb 2in. to 2iin. deep ; 

 segments pure white, lin. broad, slightly veined with lilac, purple 

 towards the edge ; falls obovate-cuneate, with a yellow beard ; 

 standards obovate-unguiculate, much crisped, pure white, except 

 the purple keel and border. May. I. ensiform, glaucous. Stem 

 1ft. to IJft. high, bearing three or four clusters of flowers, slightly 

 branched. A handsome plant, the native country of which is 

 unknown. (S. B. F. G. ser. ii. 254.) 



I. tectornm (roof).* fl., limb bright lilac, liin. to 2in. deep ; fa_lls 

 above lin. broad, very obtuse, crisped at the edge, marked with 

 deep lilac veins on a paler lilac groundwork, narrowed cuneately 

 into a claw half as long as the limb, which is variegated with lilac 

 streaks on a white ground, the deeply laciniated white and lilac 

 crest Jin. deep ; standards spreading, rather shorter than the falls, 

 with an orbicular plain lilac limb ; spathe single, terminal, two or 

 three-flowered. June. I. ensifonn, pale green, about 1ft. long, 

 thin. Stem 1ft. or more high. Japan, 1872. A rare, but dis- 

 tinct and beautiful, species. SYN. /. tomiolopha. (B. M. 6118 ; 

 G. C. n. s., vi. 37.) 



I. tenax (strong), fl. solitary; limb bright lilac-purple, 2in. to Sin. 

 deep ; falls obovate-unguiculate, with a reflexing blade |in. to lin. 

 broad ; standards nearly as long, Jin. broad, oblanceolate, with a 

 long claw. May and June. I. two, linear, moderately firm. 

 Stem 6in. to 12in. high, slender. North America, 1826. (B. M. 3343 ; 

 B. R. 1218.) According to Douglas, the Indians make from the 

 fibre derived from the leaves of this species " deer and elk snares 

 sufficiently strong to take even the largest and most powerful of 

 these animals ; and it is also used by the women for making small 

 bags and reticules, exactly the same as steel chain purses of fine 

 workmanship, and for fishing." 



L tomiolopha (jagged-crest). A synonym of I. trctorum. 



X. tridentata (three-toothed), fl., limb lilac-purple, 2in. to 2iin. 

 deep ; falls obovate-unguiculate, lin. or more broad, reflexing 

 half-way down ; claws white, veined with lilac ; standards ob- 

 lanceolate-spathulate, erect, about iin. long; spathes two- 

 flowered. May. I. ensifonn, 1ft. to lift. long. Stem slender, 

 terete, hollow. North America, 1829. (B. M. 2886, under name of 

 /. tripetala.) 



I. tnberosa (tuberous).* Snake's Head. fl. solitary ; limb 2in. to 

 2iin. deep ; falls with an orbicular, obtuse, lurid purple, veinless 

 lamina, iin. to jin. broad, not more than half as long as the 

 oblong spathulate claw, which is greenish-yellow on both sides, 

 and iin. to lin. broad at the middle ; standards erect, under 

 lin. long, rhomboid, unguiculate ; blade entire or tricuspidate ; 

 spathe with usually only a single large green valve, which often 

 overtops the flower. April and May. I., outer ones bract-like, 

 lanceolate ; inner ones two or three, weak, glaucous, tetragonal, 

 erect. Stem weak, slender, hollow, about 1ft. long. Levant, 

 1597. A well-known species, and one of the earliest introduced 

 into this country. (B. M. 531.) 



L unguicularis (clawed).* fl. solitary, fragrant ; limb 3in. deep, 

 bright lilac ; falls obovate, 1m. broad, narrowed gradually into a 

 linear claw, keeled with yellow and streaked with lilac on a white 

 ground at the throat ; standards nearly the same shape and size 

 as the falls, lilac, erect. February. I. in a distichous basal tuft, 

 linear, erect, firm. Plant stemless. Algeria. SYN. /. stylosa 

 (under which name it is included in B. M. 5773). 



I. variegata (variegated).* fl., limb 2in. deep; falls oblong, 

 cuneately narrowed to the base, Jin. broad; upper part deep 

 claret-brown, middle much veined with brown on a yellow ground- 

 work ; beard bright yellow ; standards erect, oblong-unguiculate, 

 bright lemon-yellow. May. 1. tufted, purple at the base, 1ft. to 

 lift, long, lin. broad. Stem 1ft to lift, high, glaucous, forked 

 low down, bearing three or four, one to two-flowered, terminal 

 spat lies. Eastern Europe, 1597. A handsome species, having 

 several very desirable varieties. (B.M. 16.) 



I. verna (spring), fl. solitary ; limb liin. deep ; segments oblong- 

 unguiculate, both about Ain. broad ; claw orange at the throat, 

 spotted with black, and furnished with a central, slightly raised, 

 scarcely villose line. Spring. 1. linear, 6in. to 12in. long, slightly 

 glaucous. Plant almost stemless. Southern United States, 1748. 

 A scarce plant; several kinds are sold under this name. 

 (S. B. F. G. 68.) 



