i.] IRIS. 



43 



i.T.Colum'na, (Fig. 60.) Columna'* Trichonema. Scape single- 

 floweied, drooping, shorter than the leaves, which are radical, 

 linear, furrowed and reflexed. 



Lindley, Synopsis, p. 255.-Hoolcer, British Flora, vol. i. p. 25 

 Trichonema. Bulboco'dium, English Flora, vol. i. p. 48. Ix'ia Bulbo- 

 co'dium, English Botany, t. 2549. 



Bulb ovate, solid, mostly surrounded with torn membranous sheaths. 

 Leaves numerous, from three to five inches long, spreading. Scape$ 

 several, sometimes branched. Flowers mostly blue or purple, occa- 

 sionally white or yellow. Spatha of two lobes, longer than the tube 

 of the corolla. Stamens longer than the stigmas. 



Habitat. Rare. On dry grassy hillocks in Guernsey, and the 

 Warren, Dawlish, Devonshire. 



Perennial ; flowering in March and April. 



It is frequently cultivated in the flower-garden, and thrives best on 

 a sandy soil ; the flowers are more numerous, and larger, than when 

 grown in an uncultivated state, 



GENUS V. THIS. Iris, or Flmcer-de-Luce. 

 Nat. Ord. JRID'E.*. 



GEN. CHAR. Perianth single, of six unequal segment*, three alternate 

 ones larger and reflexed. Stigmas three, resembling petals, and 

 forming a cover to the oblong anthers. Name from Iris, a rain- 

 bow ; in allusion to the gay and varied colours of the flowers. 



1. /. Pseudac'orut, (Fig. 61.) yelloio Water Iris, or Corn-flag. Pe- 

 rianth beardless, the three inner segments erect, smaller than the 

 stigmas, leaves sword-shaped. 



English Botany, t. 578. English Flora, vol. i. p. 49. Lindley, Sy- 

 nopsis, p. 255. Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 26. 



@. citrin'a ; " flowers smaller, paler coloured, segments of the pe- 

 rianth narrower, the inner ones more acute, stem taller." Iris Pseud- 

 acorus, Botanic Magazine, t. 2239. Hooker, British Flora, vol. i. p. 26. 



Rhizoma large, fleshy, laying prostrate on the surface of the 

 ground, simple or variously branched, with numerous small fibres on 

 the under side. Stem from two to four feet high, round, smooth, 

 Leaves erect, sword-shaped, ribbed, of a glaucous hue. Flowers from 

 three to six, large, handsome, lemon-coloured, streaked with purple 

 lines, the outer segments of the perianth much the largest, broad, 

 rounded, reflexed, the inner small, narrow-pointed, erect, smaller than 

 the dilated petal-like stigmas, which are cut or fringed, and arched over 

 the anthers. Bracteas pale, thin, membranous at the edges. Capsule 

 angular, three-celled, ibree-valved. Seed numerous, globular, or an- 

 gular. 



