48 IRIS VERNA. SPRING IRIS. 



a larcre number of varieties have been obtained of much 

 superior beauty to the originals. Floriculture has not yet had 

 the same devoted skill and attention bestowed on it in the New 

 World, and hence many of our beautiful plants are awaiting 

 some energetic florist's care to rival in beauty and variety some 

 of the famous race of florists' flowers of Europe. Our spring 

 Iris offers sfreat inducements for such nice work as this, and if 

 once improved would no doubt not only be popular as a spring 

 flower, but there would be the addition of the fragrance which it 

 possesses, for most of the popular races of improved Irises of the 

 gardens are wanting in this great attracdon. There is no doubt 

 it would readily change under the hands of the florists, as there 

 seem to be variadons in nature. Gronovius, already quoted, 

 speaks of Clayton having found one with pure white flowers; 

 and Peter Collinson, in a letter to John Bartram, dated March 

 4th, 1764, refers to his "true correspondent, Mrs. Logan," 

 sending him "what she calls a white Iris from Georgia," but 

 whether certainly of this species we cannot tell. 



Gronovius says the vernal Iris was reputed to have medicinal 

 qualities, and Dr. Peyre Porcher seems to confirm this by 

 remarking that " it is said to possess properdes similar to those 

 of the L. versicolor." The chief of these properdes may be 

 given in the language of Bartram that " the root is considered 

 by the Indians a very powerful cathardc, and it is found in 

 ardficial ponds made for the purpose near their villages." 



For the plant from which our drawing was made we are 

 indebted to Prof. Sargent, of the Cambridge Botanical Garden. 



Explanations of the Plate. — i. Leaf growth of last year with flower bud the following 

 spring arising from its base. 2. Terminal growth of the previous year. 



