AN ENCYCLOPEDIA OF HORTICULTURE. 



199 



Iris continued. 



FIG. 332. IRIS VERSTCOLOR, showing Habit and detcnhed 

 Portion of Inflorescence. 



I. versicolor (various-coloured).* fl. clustered; limb claret 

 purple, under 2in. deep ; falls obovate-unguiculate, reflexing half- 

 way down ; the roundish lamina fin. to lin. broad, cuneate at the 

 base; standards oblanceolate - spathulate, light claret - purple. 

 June. 1. ensiform, rather glaucous. Stem 1ft. to 2ft. high, terete, 

 forked low down, with two or three clusters of flowers beside the 

 end one. North America, 1732. A common and handsome species. 

 See Fig. 332. (B. M. 21.) 



I. virescens (greenish). /., tube greenish-yellow, lin. to IJin. 

 long ; limb 2in. deep ; falls oblong, cuneately narrowed to a claw, 

 iin. to in. broad, greenish-yellow, streaked in the lower half with 

 dull purple ; beard bright yellow ; standards oblong-unguiculate, 

 dull yellow, Jin broad, the claw spotted and streaked with green 

 and dull purple. April and May. 1. as in 1. lutescens. Europe. 

 According to Mr. Baker, this is the least ornament.-!] or nttrnrlive 

 of all the bearded Irises. 



Iris continued. 



to 2ft. long, about lin. broad. Stem 2ft. or more high, forked, 

 compressed towards the base, terete upwards. North America, 

 1758. (B. M. 703.) 



Sect. II. Xiphions. 



L alata (winged).* fl., tube cylindrical, Sin. to 6in. long ; limb 

 bright lilac-purple, Sin. deep ; falls oblong, lin. broad, bright 



bright lilac-purpe, n. eep ; as oong, n. broad, brigh 

 yellow at throat ; inner segments oblanceolate-spathulate, li 

 long, spreading horizontally ; spathe sessile, with lanceolat 

 valves, Sin. to 4in. long. October to December. I. sub-erec 



lanceolate 



lves, Sin. to n. long. October to December. I. sub-erect, 

 lanceolate, acuminate, nearly 1ft. long. Spain, Algiers, &c., 

 1801. A strikingly handsome species. (B. R. 1876.) 



I. anglica (English). A garden synonym of /. Xiphioides. 



I. caucasica (Caucasian), fl. in one-flowered spathes, scentless ; 

 limb pale yellow, lin. deep ; falls obovate, iin. broad, reflexing 

 only in the upper third ; stigmas broad, pale yellow, with deltoid 

 crests. February and March. I. four to five, sharply falcate, 

 lanceolate. Stem one to three-flowered, or very short. Caucasus 

 to Persia. See Fig. 333. (S. B. F. G. 255.) 



I. filifolia (thread-leaved).* fl., tube lin. long above the ovary ; limb 

 bright deep purple, 2iin. deep ; orbicular lamina of the falls lin. 

 deep, shorter than the pandurifonn claw, and keeled with bright 

 yellow at the base ; standards oblanceolate, erect ; spathe Jin. 

 to 4in. long, with pale green lanceolate valves. I. six or more ; 

 lower ones filiform, over 1ft. long ; scarious outside ones at base 

 of stem, flat, and mottled with deep purple. Stem slender, 

 terete, 1ft. to 2ft. high, ending in a single spathe. Gibraltar, 

 1859. (B. M. 5928.) SYN. Xiphion tingitanvm (of B. M. 5981, not 

 of Baker). 



FIG. 333. IRIS CAUCASICA 



I. vlrglnlca (Virginian), fl., limb 2in. to 2^in. deep, bright lilac- 

 purple ; falls round-unguiculate, reflexed half-way down ; lamina 

 lin. broad, lin. to IJin. long ; standards erect, oblanceolate. 

 spathulate, deep lilac, less than Jin. broad. June. 1. flrm, Uft. 



Fio. 334. FLOWER AND LEAVES OP IRIS HISTRIO. 



I. Histrio (actor).* fl., tube Sin. to 4in. long, filiform, exserted ; 

 limb lilac-purple, lim. deep ; falls copiously streaked and spotted 

 with lilac on a paler ground, and keeled with yellow down the 

 face ; claw narrowed gradually from top to base ; standards plain 

 lilac, oblanceolate, erect ; spathe one-flowered, -sessile, in the 

 centre of the leaf tuft ; valves Sin. to 4in. long. February. 

 I. about two to a tuft, and produced with several others, reach- 

 ing 1ft. in length. Palestine, 1873. See Fig. 354. (B. M. 6033.) 



I. juncea(Rush-like). 

 pale yellow, IJin. to 



I., tube slender, lin. to liin. long; limb 

 n. deep ; lamina of falls orbicular, lin. 



