THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



623 



I. Bismarckiana. This "Cushion" Iris, 

 found in Lebanon, is little known as yet, 

 but it is described as having a flower as 

 large as /. susiana, with gray falls and 

 sky-blue standards. 



I. cristata (Dwarf-crested Iris] is a 

 charming dwarf Flag, flowering in spring 

 and also in autumn, delicate blue and 

 richly marked. It is a fragile plant, 4 to 6 

 in. high, with broad leaves, and throws 

 out long slender rhizomes, wholly above 

 ground, thriving in sandy earth in beds, 

 borders, or on the rock garden. 



I. florentina (Florentine Flag). Its 

 large delicate flowers are nearly 6 in. deep, 

 faintly tinged with blue, the falls veined 

 witn yellow, and green at the base, with an 

 orange-yellow beard, whilst the broad 

 leaves are rich dark-green. A native of 

 Southern Europe, flowering during May 

 and June. The variety albicans is almost 

 pure white. 



I. foetidissima (Gladwin). A British 

 plant, i| to 2 ft. high, with bluish flowers. 



Iris foetidissima (Gladwin). 



There is a variety with variegated leaves. 

 The common green form is worth growing 

 in rough grassy places for its brilliant 

 coral-red seeds. 



I. Gates!. This is a remarkably hand- 

 some Flag from Armenia, and very near to 

 susiana, but the rhizome is more compact, 

 and the foliage smaller, shorter, and 

 narrower, and of a darker green than in 

 susiana. The stem is taller, \\ ft. or 

 even 2 ft., and the flower when well 

 grown larger. The prevailing colour of 



the specimens so far cultivated is, when 

 the flower is seen at a distance, a soft deli- 

 cate gray, brought about by very thin clear 

 veins and minute dots or points of purple 

 on a creamy-white ground, the dots being 

 predominant on the fall and the veins on 

 the standard. The ripe capsule is as 

 much as 5 in. in length. 



I. germanica (Common German Flag). 

 This best known flag is one of 

 the few plants that succeed well in 

 London. /. nepalensis is a charming 

 form from India, with flowers from 5 in. to 

 6 in. long, the standards rich dark violet- 

 purple, the falls intense violet, striped 

 white and purple at the base, with yellow 

 and reddish markings. It flowers during 

 May and June, and may be increased 

 quickly. The German Flags flourish in 

 ordinary garden, dry gravelly soil, or sandy 

 banks, for which they are well suited. A 

 good selection of varieties of the German 

 Iris, all good garden flowers, would be 

 composed of Atro-purpurea, Aurea, 

 Bridesmaid, Calypso, Celeste, Gracchus, 

 Mine. Chereau, Queen of May, Rigolette, 

 Victorine, and George Thorbeck. 



I. histrio. This beautiful bulbous 

 Iris, when peeping through the ground 

 in winter or early spring, reminds one 

 of /. reticulata, but it is rather taller, and 

 its sweetly-scented flowers are broader and 

 more conspicuously spotted or blotched, 

 the colour being rich bluish-purple, flushed 

 towards the base of the petals with rose- 

 pink, whilst the markings are of the 

 deepest purple, relieved by a crest of 

 gold. Syria. 



I. histrioides. One of the most charm- 

 ing of the spring flowering bulbous Irises. 

 So far, though it has only been in cultivation 

 a few years, it has proved of easy culture. 

 The flowers are larger than those of any of 

 the group, the falls mottled with white and 

 rich lilac both on the claw and on the broad 

 rounded blade. It is a native of Eastern 

 Anatolia, and blooms in early March. 



I. iberica (Iberian Flag), One of the 

 most singular and handsome of Irises. 

 The flowers are large, the standards white, 

 pencilled and spotted with purple or violet, 

 while the falls are veined with dark purple 

 or purple-black on a yellowish ground, with 

 a conspicuous dark blotch in the centre. 

 This is the colour of the commonest 

 form, but there are several, and one, 

 ochracea is very distinct, is hardy and 

 thrives best in a rich fibrous loam, where 

 it can send its long roots deep into the 

 soil. The rhizome should not be planted 

 deep, but only just below the surface as in 

 most cases the roots perish when planted 

 deeply. Coarse river sand should be used, 



