604 IRIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



considered as coming within the iberica 

 group, as the foliage is not unlike that kind, 

 and the stem, though always of some 

 length, never rises very high. The flower 

 is somewhat small, and for the most part 

 of deep purple colouring. The plant varies 

 somewhat, one variety being called 

 " Odysseus." 



I. aurea (Golden Flag}. This is a fine 

 Iris, a native of the H imalayas, with golden- 

 yellow flowers of great beauty, is a tall 

 stately kind, hardy in. the coldest soils. 

 It does well among shrubs or in borders 

 of the best perennials, and groups of it so 

 placed are very handsome. Division and 

 seed. 



I. Bakeriana. This is one of the most 

 beautiful of the bulbous early spring flower- 



Iris cristata. 



ing Irises. It comes from Armenia, and 

 the flowers,which smell like violets, remind 

 one strongly of those of the netted Iris (I. 

 reticulata). The colouring varies, the 

 yellow streak on the fall, which is con- 

 spicuous in some of the forms, being 

 almost entirely absent in others ; the size 

 and number of the violet spots and the 

 breadth of the rich violet edging as well 

 as the size and brilliancy of their tints 

 vary in individual flowers. It blooms quite 

 early in the year, and is delightful in 

 pots. 



I. Barnumae. This Iris, a native of 

 the hills of Kurdistan, belongs to the 

 iberica group. The flower is smaller than 



that of that Flag, and both falls and 

 standards are vinous red-purple marked 

 with darker veins, the standard berni; 

 lighter in colour than the fall and its veins 

 more conspicuous. There is a yellow 

 variety described by Prof. Foster a's " an 

 exceedingly charming plant," and fragrant, 

 the odour not being unlike the Lily of 

 the Valley. 



I. biflora. A handsome Flag, 9 to 1 5 

 in. high, bearing large violet flowers on 

 stout stems. Similar to it are I. sub- 

 biflora and I. nudicaulis, which is one of 

 the best of the dwarf Flags, from 4 to 10 

 in. high ; its flowers large, of a rich violet- 

 blue, four to seven on a stem in early 

 summer. It has the vigour of the German 

 Iris and the dwarfness of the Crimean 

 Iris, but is much sturdier, and is suited for 

 the margin of the herbaceous border and 

 for the rock-garden. 



I. Bismarckiana. This "Cushion" Iris, 

 found in Lebanon, is little known as yet, 

 but it is described as having a flower as 

 large as I. 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 

 with 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. fcetidissima (Gladwin}. A British 

 plant, 1 1 to 2 ft. high, with bluish flowers. 

 There is a variety with variegated leaves. 

 The common green form is worth growing 

 in semi-wild places for its brilliant coral- 

 red seeds. 



I. G-atesi. 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, i^ 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 



