IRIS. 



THE ENGLISH FLOWER GARDEN. 



IRIS. 



60 5 



the standard. The ripe capsule is as 

 much as 5 in. in length. 



I. germanica (Common German Flag]. 

 This is common in gardens, and is one 

 of the few plants that succeed well in 

 London. I. 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, Brides- 

 maid, Calypso, Celeste, Gracchus, Mme. 

 Chereau, Queen of May, Rigolette, Vic- 

 torine, and George Thorbeck. 



I. Histrio. This beautiful bulbous 

 Iris, when peeping through the ground 

 in winter or early spring, reminds one 

 of I. 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, 

 the rhizome being planted completely in 

 it, and by this means it is kept rather dry 

 during the winter. Dry borders or warm 

 spots on the rock-garden. 



I. juncea (Rush-leaved Flag] is a lovely 

 bulbous Iris, graceful in habit and with 



bright yellow flowers of a delightful frag- 

 rance, whilst it can be grown almost as 

 easily as the English Irises. It requires 

 a light, rich deep soil, and will be all the 

 better if planted where it can be kept 

 fairly dry during winter. Spain. 



I. Ksempferi (Japanese Ftag).The 

 many varieties in cultivation under this 

 name have sprung from I. laevigata and 

 I. setosa, and form a fine race of garden 

 plants, whilst every year many beautiful 

 sorts are added, chiefly from Japan, 

 though many seedlings have been raised 

 in this country. The flowers are variable 

 in size and colour, some measuring as 

 much as 9 and loin, across. The varieties 

 of I. setosa differ from those of I. leevigata 



Iris foetidissima (Gladwin). 



in having broader and less-drooping petals, 

 and the three inner petals are often of the 

 same size as the outer, so that the flower is 

 symmetrical. I. Kaempferi will grow in 

 almost any soil, but is best in a good 

 loam, with peat added to it, though this is 

 not so much for nourishment as to retain 

 moisture during the hot and dry summer 

 months, for this Flag likes moisture, and 

 its numerous roots will often go 2 ft. deep 

 in search of it. It dislikes shade, prefer- 

 ring a warm sunny position, being especi- 

 ally happy when planted by the margin of a 

 lake, pond, or stream. Two-year-old seed- 

 ling plants of it bloom in June and July, and 

 amongst them will be found an endless 

 variety of colours from white to the 

 richest plum, the deep blues being very 

 rich. The mottled flowers are objection- 

 able, and unfortunately these are common, 



