758 



I RI 



THE UNIVERSAL HERBAL; 



IRI 



Stigmas: petal-form, cowled, two-lipped. Most of the plants 

 of this genus are cultivated in flower-gardens for their beauty; 

 and would doubtless be more valued, if they were not easily 

 procured and propagated. All the hardy sorts are generally 

 propagated by parting their roots, which most of them mul- 

 tiply fast enough. The best time for removing and parting 

 the roots is in autumn. All those which spread much at 

 their roots, should be transplanted every other year, to keep 

 them within bounds : indeed, the large-growing kinds are 

 most of them too spreading for the flower-garden, so are 

 only fit to fill up spaces between trees and shrubs in large 

 plantations, where they will have a good effect when flower- 

 ing. The species are, 



* Bearded; having the spreading Petals furnished with 

 hairs. Leaves ensiform. 



1. IrisCiliata; Ciliate-leaved Iris. Bearded: leaves ensi- 

 form, ciliate. Bulb ovate, fibrous, netted, the size of a hazel- 

 nut; scapes several, most of them concealed by the sheaths 

 of the leaves, and a single one only flowering ; corolla yel- 

 low, the smaller petals obovate; capsule three-cornered, 

 three-grooved. Native of the Cape of Good Hope, on the 

 hills near Cape Town. This, like all the rest from the Cape, 

 must be kept in the dry-stove, and increased and managed 

 in the same way as the Cape bulbs. 



2. Iris Minuta ; Minute Iris. Bearded : leaves ensiform, 

 smooth ; scape one-flowered ; petals oblong, acute. Bulb 

 ovate, netted, the size of a large pea; corolla yellow; the 

 smaller petals lanceolate. Found on Leuwestart mountain, 

 near Cape Town. 



3. Iris Pumila; Dwarf Iris. Bearded: leaves eusiform, 

 smooth ; scape one-flowered ; petals oblong, blunt. Root 

 brownish on the outside, white within, knobbed with pale 

 fibrils. All the petals are almost entire, blue or purple, 

 varying much in colour, insomuch that the same flower 

 changes, and from blue becomes more and more red. It 

 flowers in April. Native of Austria and Hungary, on open 

 hills. There are many varieties of this sort, with white, 

 straw-coloured, pale blue, blush-coloured, yellow-variable, 

 blue-variable, and other colours in the flower, which are now 

 greatly neglected. This, and the 3d, 4th, 6th, 23d, 24th, 

 34th, 36th, and some others, may be propagated by seeds 

 sown soon after they are ripe, when the plants will come up 

 in the following spring; but if ihe seeds be sown in the 

 spring, they will lie a year in the ground before they vegetate; 

 when the plants appear they must be kept clean from weeds, 

 and in the following autumn should be transplanted into beds 

 at ten inches or a foot distance, where they may remain till 

 they flower, which will be in the second summer" after trans- 

 planting. They will grow in almost any soil or situation ; 

 and as they grow in small compass, may be admitted into 

 large borders, or clumps of flowers in the pleasure-garden, 

 where they will add to the variety. 



4. Iris Susiana; Chalcedoman Iris. Bearded : leaves ensi- 

 I >rm, smooth ; scape one-flowered ; petals rounded. Corolla 

 the largest of all the species, very thin ; the claws of the larger 

 petals purple on the outside, dotted and streaked with purple 

 within. Mr. Miller observes, that the three upright petals 

 of the flower are almost as broad as a hand, but very thin, 

 striped with black and white; the three bending petals, or 

 fails, of a darker colour : hence some gardeners call it the 

 " Mourning Iris." It flowers at the end of May or beginning 

 of June, but never bears seeds in England. Clusius informs 



that this magnificent Iris, which takes its name from 

 Susa in Persia, was brought from Constantinople to Vienna 

 aud Holland, in 1.573." It flowers well in favourable situ- 



ations, but succeeds best in a pure air, loamy soil, and sunny 

 exposure ; moisture, which favours the growth of most of the 

 genus, is injurious, and sometimes even fatal, to this species. 

 As it rarely ripens seed in England, it is generally increased 

 by roots ; and being unable to bear severe seasons, it will 

 be prudent to keep a few roots of it in pots, either in a 

 green-house or hot-bed frame, during the winter, or it may 

 be purchased of the importers of bulbs from Holland, at a 

 reasonable rate. It bears forcing well. 



5. Iris Florentina; Florentine Iris. Bearded: leaves 

 ensiform, smooth, shorter than the subbiflorous scape, which 

 bears two or three flowers. Lower petals connate at the base, 

 the claws of the larger ones thic-kish, with a thin winged 

 edge an inch long, green on the outside, bearded within, 

 with white cilias, yellow at the tip ; smaller petals oblong, 

 blunt, emarginate, white ; stigma snowy white. Our old 

 writers called this White Flower-de-luce, or Flower-de-luce 

 of Florence. The root of this plant is extremely acrid, and 

 when chewed excites a pungent taste in the mouth, which 

 continues some hours: this acrimony is almost wholly dis- 

 sipated when the plant is dried, the taste then being slightly 

 bitter, and the smell agreeable, approaching to that of 

 violets. No essential oil has been hitherto obtained from 

 this root, but spirituous tinctures of it contain more of its 

 virtues than watery infusions. The fresh root is a powerful 

 cathartic, and for this purpose its juice has been employed, 

 in the dose of a drachm and upwards, in dropsies. It is now 

 chiefly used in a dry state, and is said to be good for com- 

 plaints of the lungs, coughs, and hoarseness ; but, we believe, 

 it is more valuable for the pleasantness of its perfume, and 

 the flavour which it communicates, than for any other use. 

 For medicinal uses the roots are generally imported from 

 Leghorn. Native of the south of Europe. 



6. Iris Biflora ; Twice-flowering Iris. Bearded ; leaves 

 ensiform, smooth, shorter than the subtriflorous scape ; petals 

 violet-coloured, entire. Native of Portugal and Spain. 



7. Iris Aphylla; Leafless Iris. Bearded : leaves ensiform, 

 smooth, equalling the many-flowered almost naked scape. 

 This has four large bright purple flowers, which stand above 

 each other, and have purplish sheaths ; the three bending 

 petals, or falls, are striped with white from the base to the 

 end of the beard ; the capsules are large, blunt, and triangular. 

 It flowers at the end of May, and the seeds ripen at the 

 beginning of August. Native place unknown. 



8. Iris Variegata ; Variegated Iris. Bearded : leaves ensi- 

 form, smooth, equalling the many-flowered scape. Flowers 

 at the top of the scape divided, alternate, coming out succes- 

 sively, handsome yellow, netted with black. It flowers in 

 June, rarely seeds in England; and is a native of Hungary. 

 Gerarde calls it Variable Flower-de-luce. 



9. Iris Germanica; German Iris, or Garden, or Blue 

 Flower-de-luce. Bearded : leaves ensiform, smooth, sickle- 

 shaped, shorter than the many-flowered scape. Thjs has the 

 largest leaves of all the species ; they are of a grayish colour, 

 and spread wide, embracing each other at their base, where 

 they are purplish. The stalks rise nearly four feet high, 

 and divide into several branches, each supporting three or 

 four flowers, which are covered with a thin sheath ; the 

 three bending petals or falls are of a faint purple inclining 

 to blue, with purple veins running lengthwise ; the beard 

 is yellow, and the three erect petals or standards are of a 

 bright blue, with some faint purple stripes : the flowers have 

 an agreeable scent. It flowers in May and June. Native 

 of Germany, Switzerland, and Dauphiny. The fresh root* 

 of this plant, which are a strong irritating cathartic, may 

 be given in hydropic cases, in doses of one or two drachms, 



